Legends of Ninjago: The Brotherhood of a Lifetime
by Pinkiemachine
Summary: AU/retelling. War threatens Ninjago. Lord Garmadon, a demonic tyrant, is bent on conquering the entire island, and the only people that stand in his way are four young boys on a journey, not only of saving their home, but also of self discovery. It's a race to find the legendary Golden Weapons. Whoever possesses them all is assured his victory. But who will reach them first?
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Long ago, before the world began, there was the First Spinjitsu Master. With the powers of four mystical weapons he created a great island. He named it NINJAGO and went to live there among its people. During his life he married and had two sons. The elder child became a vessel for evil and destruction, the younger became a host for good and creation. The two would forever be locked in a constant state of battle between the light and the dark."

"Sensei, I know all of this. Why are you telling me again?"

"Because, young one, the world is about to change. And if we are to influence the future, we must first relearn our past."

In that time, Ninjago was torn in two. Master Wu and the Imperial Army, against Lord Garmadon and his malicious allies; the forces of Samukai and his Skulkin legion. This war had plagued our land for a little over four years and it took its toll on every man, woman, and child.

In the heart of Imperial Territory, on the outskirts of Ninjago City to be precise, an old man stood in silence as he watched the horizon from the balcony of an ancient monastery; his long white beard flapped in the breeze. He was thinking of his brother, Garmadon, and of his past.

"I wish it hadn't come to this, but Garmadon has forced my hand," Wu said stoically. "Gather the troops and fortify the border. I sense dark days ahead."

"Sensei, do you mean to say that it's time?" asked a young girl who stood next to him.

"Thanks to you and our spies, we now know that my brother seeks the golden weapons," said Wu. "We cannot allow him to succeed. Garmadon is very intelligent. He will find the weapons eventually, and if he does, all will be lost."

"So we must retrieve them before he can," the girl concluded, finishing Wu's thought. "Master, send me and Keaton, we are more than prepared for such a journey."

"I'm afraid you are not, Ann." Wu turned to look at his pupil. "Though I have faith that you would undoubtedly perform well, not even you could withstand the power of the golden weapons. They call to different masters."

"The Green Ninja?" Ann asked with wide eyes.

Master Wu chuckled to himself. "Do not let your imagination get the better of you. I suspect that the time for such a saviour is not yet upon us." There was a short pause. "I will be abroad for some time. I trust you can manage things here while I am gone?"

"Lord Garmadon's forces are blocked at the Jade river. I will see to it that he goes no further in your absence," Ann answered swiftly.

"Very good," Wu said as he turned to leave. "Make preparations. I will be sending some very important guests within a few days. Oh, and say 'hi' to your sister for me."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Earth

Cole Becket let out a silent sigh as he reclined in his chair. He was supposed to be focusing on the teacher who was directing a couple of students in singing a song from the play Spamlet the musical, but he was too busy wondering how long it would be until school was out. All the other students sitting next to him had their binders open and were taking notes, meanwhile Cole subtly put his earbuds in and started listening to The Fold as quietly as he could. He started counting the minutes as they went by, tapping his foot anxiously as he did so.

"Mr. Becket!"

Cole snapped his head up and looked at the teacher who was eyeing him with a scowl on her face.

"I'm not going to tell you again; take those earbuds out and pay attention," she snarled, making the whole class stare at them both. "Your father doesn't pay this school to have you babysat." Cole muttered something under his breath and put his music player away. He knew it was his own fault for deliberately ignoring the teacher, but he still hated being told what to do. He especially didn't like it when the professors mentioned his father; a very well-known vocalist and dancer who had won many awards. He had sent Cole to the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts just a few months ago, and he had hated it the moment he stepped on campus.

Cole had no interest in becoming a performer like his father. He had no real interest in becoming anything, actually. Well, at the very least he hadn't found anything that he wanted to do. He had thought about running away from school and joining the Imperial Army, but he was a bit nervous about the idea for one particular reason; the very same reason which made him uneasy just to be around other people, especially at school. He wasn't like the rest of them. Cole had a very special, very unique ability.

Ever since he was about eight years old, he discovered that he could control earth. He had no idea why or how, but if he wanted to send a rock flying ten yards, he could do it without even touching it. As the years went by, Cole began to feel a sort of connection to the earth, like it could speak to him in a language he used to understand, but he never had the chance to fully explore that language or his powers with his father constantly pushing him to succeed as a performer.

Cole also never told anyone. Not his father, not his mother, and especially none of his friends. How could he? People already looked at him differently because of his parentage; the last thing he wanted was for them to look at him like he was a freak. So he distanced himself from pretty much everyone he knew, and didn't bother to make any close friends at this new school.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when the teacher called for all the students to come and sing one of their songs together. Cole sang tenor; not that you'd know that because he sang so quietly and with so little effort that had he not been present, it would have made little to no difference.

Class ended shortly thereafter and Cole hurriedly grabbed his things and was out the door before the professor could stop him. He hated when they tried to give him one of those 'I believe in you, but you gotta commit to your lessons' speeches because they were just wasting their breath on him. He had made up his mind long ago that he wasn't going to listen to anyone here or try to learn to sing or dance. Besides, he was no good at either.

He walked down the dismal hallways until he reached his locker and stowed his sheet music, exchanging it for his recital script. The next and final class was acting, and although he didn't mind it as much as singing or dancing, the director would constantly be nagging him about how he was never committing enough to his part or trying his hardest. Cole heaved a deep sigh as he prepared for the worst and took off toward the classroom.

Just as he turned a corner, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with another student—Emi—and nearly knocked her over as they barely missed running into each other.

"I'm so sorry!" Emi cried as she stepped back and hugged her binder closer to her chest.

"No, it's okay, I should've been looking where I was going," Cole replied. "I, uh, heard you got the lead part in the school's upcoming play."

"Oh, yeah, I did. It was no big deal," said Emi as she brushed her silky black hair out of her face and shuffled her feet awkwardly. "And what about you? Anything new... happening?"

"Detention," Cole said flatly.

"Oh," was all Emi said in reply. The two fidgeted with what they were holding for a few seconds of agonising uncomfortableness.

"Well, I should get going. Acting class and all," said Cole stiffly.

"Oh, right, yeah. I've got singing now, I should get going too."

The two parted ways much like how they had met—suddenly and awkwardly. At times like these, Cole played with idea of actually becoming a performer and setting down roots in the artist community, but there still wasn't enough there to convince him to commit. He still couldn't sing, he still couldn't dance, and he still had his weird powers, which didn't really set him apart from the other kids except in his own mind, but it still made him feel out of place. After all, what was he? Was he even really human, or some sort of spirit or demigod? There was always a part of him that agonised over these questions.

Acting class was long, boring, and exhausting. When the final bell rang, to Cole, it was like the sound of the ice cream truck coming down the street on a hot summer day. But before he could head out the door, he was stopped by the director, Mr. Kawasaki.

"Cole," he said, "have you been practicing in your spare time like we discussed?"

Cole thought about lying for moment, but he was pretty sure that Mr. Kawasaki already knew he hadn't. "No," he replied.

The director sighed. "What's up, son? Is there something wrong? Something you want to talk about?"

"No," Cole said again.

Now Mr. Kawasaki was starting to look exasperated. "Then why don't you ever give a hundred percent in class? And not just my class, all the classes. Why don't you wanna be here?"

Cole didn't say anything for a few seconds. Firstly, he was conflicted about opening up, and secondly, if he did, he was wondering how he would phrase it. "I just don't wanna be a performer," was all that came out.

"Then why are you here?" the director asked.

"I dunno. Cause my dad put me here?" Cole was worried he'd said too much. He didn't really want a long conversation right now. "Look, I gotta go. Detention and all."

"Right, of course. We'll talk more later."

"Fat chance of that," Cole muttered under his breath as he walked through the crowded hallways.

He spent most of detention doodling in his sketchbook. Nothing he would call 'art' but he did think his drawing skills were much better than his singing.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, Cole was free to do whatever he wanted. He packed up his things, threw them in his locker, sprinted to his dorm room, got changed, then went racing toward the nearby hiking trail. Cole was a very big and strong eighteen-year-old, attributed mostly to how much time he spent outside playing sports and other activities. As he shook off the last bit of stiffness in his legs, he felt like he was flying down the road.

However strong he was, though, he knew the only reason he could run so fast and for so long was because he had always been abnormally strong, which was one reason he had wanted to play sports when he was younger, but of course his father wouldn't let him.

He arrived at the trail after about a minute and looked up at the towering mountain. It was the smallest peak in a mountain chain that ran the length of Ninjago, and it was also where Cole did his favourite activity: rock climbing. After a long day of being cooped up in a classroom, nothing made him feel better than getting his hands dirty. He also liked it when it was late so that no one would be around to see him practise his powers. Sometimes he would climb up onto ledges where he could sit and try to sculpt things out of rock. Not very cool, but it was the most subtle way he could practise. His powers also came in very handy when climbing in general: if he ever slipped, he could just make a convenient ledge appear that he could grab on to, or he could make footholds in the stone to help him climb faster.

Today, however, he didn't practise. He just wanted to get as far away from his problems as possible. He was frustrated with his whole situation, and climbing was one of the only ways he could clear his head.

There was something off about today that Cole couldn't really define. It was like there was someone watching him—or at least that's what it felt like. There was this presence he could sense not too far away and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad, or even real. When he finally crested the last peak, after twilight had fallen, he finally figured out what that strange presence was. As he stood at the top of the mountain, sweaty and out of breath, he saw an old man with a long white beard, wearing a long white robe, sitting by a small campfire sipping tea. He looked up at him with very striking blue eyes.

"Hello, Cole," he said in a raspy voice.

Cole froze. "Do I know you?" he asked.

He smiled and breathed a quiet chuckle. "I should think not. Come, sit. You must be tired after your arduous journey." Cole hesitated at first, but really what would be the harm in talking with an old man by a fire? He was tired, after all. So he sat on the stone of the mountain across from the man and let the fire warm him from the cold night air.

"How do you know my name?" Cole asked after a while. "Are you one of my dad's friends?"

"No," he answered calmly.

"Then who are you? Why are you up here?" Cole pressed.

"Perhaps that is the question for me to ask," the man countered.

Cole was beginning to get an uneasy feeling in his stomach and felt a strange tingling sensation near the back of his head. The more the old man dodged his questions, the more acute the feelings became.

"Tell me, Cole, why do you climb the mountain?" he asked.

Cole was taken aback somewhat by that question. No one had ever asked him something like that before. "I dunno," he answered. "I just like it." The old man was giving him a look that said 'I can see right through you'. "I-It clears my head, I guess."

"What do you have to clear your head of?" he continued as he sipped his tea.

Cole didn't really want to talk about it, especially with a stranger, but as the seconds wore on, that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach began to disappear, leaving only the tingling sensation. There was something about this man that made Cole want to trust him. Maybe it was his friendly smile, or his laid-back nature, he couldn't tell.

"I'm kind of in a... situation," Cole began. "My dad... has me enrolled at the Marty Oppenheimer, but... honestly, performing is the last thing I wanna do. I dunno, maybe my dad wouldn't have done it if... if he..." Cole brushed his hand through his shaggy black hair and sighed loudly. "You see... I just... lost someone. My dad should be sad, or angry, or something, but he just acts like it never happened! He spends all his time in this musical group, a-and sends me off to boarding school hoping that I'll do the same! With her gone—" Cole stopped and sucked in a deep breath as he steadied himself. "It's just been hard. I don't really have anyone to talk to about it. I've thought about joining the Imperial army, you know? At least out there I'd be useful. But..."

"What is holding you back from enlisting?" the old man asked.

Cole felt panic rise inside of him. He'd said too much. "Um... I guess... I dunno. Maybe I'm afraid of what my dad will say."

There was a stretch of silence between the two. The man looked at the boy with sad and knowing eyes. "Grief is a strange and terrible thing which can take many forms," he said, stroking his beard. "Some sing and dance. Others climb mountains."

Cole looked up at him suddenly. "Why did you climb the mountain?" he asked.

"To find you, Cole," the man replied. Cole's eyes widened. "There's another reason why you won't join the army, isn't there? Something makes you feel different from other people. Makes you feel out of place."

Cole began to panic again and rose to his feet. "I should get going, it's getting late."

He turned around to leave. "You cannot run from destiny, Cole." Cole stopped. "There is still much you do not know, and much you have yet to learn about yourself." He turned around to face the man as he continued. "I've heard tell of a young boy who can move rock without touching it, command stone without speaking a word. You have a very special gift, indeed."

"Look, whatever you've heard, i-it's not true, I mean—"

"Cole, I understand your fear, but there is no need for it. My name is Master Wu, military advisor of the Imperial Army," he explained, standing up.

"Master Wu?" Cole echoed, his eyes widening. "I'm so sorry, I didn't recognise you!"

"There is no need for apologies, Cole," said Wu gently. "I am in great need of you and your special abilities, if you're still interested in joining the war?"

"Yes, sir, I am!" Cole replied eagerly. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but if _the _Master Wu offers you a job, you take it. He had heard stories of this man; this man who had fought in wars before Cole was born and vanquished evil countless times. He was a military genius and had at one time been the advisor of the Emperor. There was also a lot of mystery surrounding him. No one knew where he came from, or from what family he hailed.

"It is of the upmost importance that you do not tell anyone of this meeting," Wu continued. "I have already negotiated with your headmaster, and you have his full permission to drop out of your studies." Wu stepped forward and handed Cole a small scroll. "I look forward to our next meeting, young Cole."

"You're leaving?" Cole asked.

"There is much to be done," he replied. "And unfortunately very little time to do it. Follow the instructions on the scroll. Cole, there is greatness within you, but also much turmoil. Be wise in the coming months and listen to your elders, or you may find the turmoil overpowering." Wu gave him a warm smile then picked up his tea kettle and walked out of the light of the campfire until the shadows had swallowed him entirely. Cole was left standing on the peak of a mountain with a scroll in his hand and excitement in his heart.

He blinked and had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. _The _Master Wu had just invited him to join a special military operation, but... how had he known about his powers? How had that old man climbed the mountain? Surely he was far too feeble to walk all that way on his own.

The only piece of new information he had was in the scroll still resting in his hand. He ripped it open and held it up to the fire light and in very professional writing it said,

Cole Becket,

I'm sure you must have many questions, all of which I will

answer in time, but for now you must rely on faith. Go to

the Yamadera monastery in the Wayward Mountains outside of

Ninjago City. There you will meet the woman Ann Jing Haruto, who

is a trusted ally of mine. Await further instructions.

Cole breathed in deeply and a smile spread across his face. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and there was no way he was wasting another second just sitting around. He stashed the scroll in his front pant pocket and began scrambling down the mountain. When he was near the end his excitement got the better of him and he reached out his hand, summoning a slab of stone to appear beneath him, and it carried him quickly to the ground. Thankfully, no one was around to see this. He sprinted all the way back to his dorm room and nearly gave his roommate a heart attack when he bolted through the door like a maniac.

Without a second thought he whipped out his trunk and started packing his clothes and other items. He paid no attention to the many questions his roommate was pelting him with and opened his clunky laptop to buy a ticket for the train heading to Ninjago City the next morning. This was it. No turning back. He hit _purchase _and turned off the computer. Now all that was left to do was get a good night's sleep.

Cole flopped onto the top bunk and relaxed. Tomorrow would be his last morning in this smelly dorm building. No more dance lessons, no more nagging, no more awkward social engagements. But... what would his father say? Did he already know? Cole was eighteen, so technically he didn't need his father's approval, but still... he had barely thought this through. To be fair, it had happened so fast, but now that he had a moment to think, all sorts of new questions hit him.

How long would he be away for? What kind of military operation did Wu have in mind that would need his powers? And then there was the whole cornucopia of questions revolving around one thing in particular: how did he know about Cole's powers?

He drifted off into an uneasy sleep filled with vague and tense dreams about nothing and when the sun rose the next morning he still didn't feel much better. There was excitement in his heart, but a there was also a hole forming in his chest filled with unsettling feelings of betrayal and anxiety.

He was sure to be extra quiet as he crept out of bed early that morning and grabbed his packed suit case and backpack. The walk from the school grounds to the train station was probably the most satisfying walk he had gone on for months, and as he boarded the train, for the first time in his life he felt truly free.

The Ninjago countryside rushed past in a blur of yellow-greens and sunrise-blues. Cole used his time on the train to look up directions to the Yamadera monastery on his laptop, and to also find a place in Ninjago City to grab some breakfast. He was delighted when he found a 'Chen's Noodle House'—his favourite fast food restaurant—just a block away from the train station.

For a moment he looked out the window at world beyond when, suddenly, out from behind the lush green trees of the forest, sprang the blinding, silver skyscrapers of Ninjago City's skyline. Cole leaned forward in his seat as the city neared closer and closer. It was by far the biggest city in Ninjago, and the biggest city Cole had ever been to before. He marvelled at all the buildings and impossibly busy streets, then nearly got lost in the huge train station after the train had dropped him off in the big city.

There was no time to enjoy any of it, though. He wolfed down an omelette at 'Chen's' and then started his trek into the mountains.

He clumsily barrelled through the crowded streets until he made it to a bus that would take him to a large park outside the city which connected to an information office outside of the mountain trails. He grabbed a map before starting on the dirt path, but got a little confused when he saw that on the map it said that the area around the monastery was off limits to civilians. He held his breath as he ventured toward the building anyway, hoping that Wu's invitation would save him from any sort of punishment for trespassing.

The temple was near the highest part of the mountains, surrounded by lush forest greenery. There were many, many rooms and smaller buildings connected to the main building, all red and all inside a large, crimson wall. The only way in was through a pair of enormous, wooden doors. By the time Cole reached them he was thoroughly out of breath, having lugged his backpack and suitcase up with him. He looked up to an old sign that had been placed over the big red gate and read,

As iron sharpens iron, brother sharpens brother


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lightning

Jay Walker fidgeted with the steering controls on his latest contraption. For the last few weeks he'd been working on a jet pack/hang glider hybrid, with very little success. He hoped that once he perfected his invention, travel would be much easier for everyone—and more fun—but so far his tests hadn't gone quite as well as he'd hoped. He had barely been able to get off the ground last time, and he kept having problems with a fuel source, but this time would be different. This time he was going to fly.

He pulled on a more aerodynamic jacket and pulled his goggles firmly over his face. Next he strapped his glider on and with a shaky breath he looked out over Ninjago City. He had reasoned that if he could only start his flight from up high enough that he would achieve more lift, so when his mom had asked him to run into town to grab a few things, he took the opportunity to test his theory, but now he was having second thoughts. He was up so high... so very high... what if the glider failed? Jay shook his head firmly. This wasn't going to fail. This time would be different.

"Test number 24," he said to himself. "Here we go."

He gripped the handles on the glider wings tighter as he braced himself to jump off the edge of a twenty-story building. He breathed deeply, then... jumped! The wind was filling his ears as he pushed a button on a small hand-held device in his left hand and the engines ignited on his pack. With all his strength he pulled his wings up to steer him away from the ground which was hurtling toward him at an alarming rate. Just a few feet away from certain doom, he pulled up and began to fly through the air, up, up, up.

"I DID IT!" He shouted over the wind and his engines. "I'M FLYING! I DID—" suddenly the jetpack sputtered out and he was falling again. He tried desperately to re-ignite the engines, but they were out of fuel. A second later he came crashing down onto the roof of another skyscraper and very nearly broke a bone, but aside from a few bruises he was fine. He sighed with frustration as he threw off his goggles and collapsed on the ground in a disgruntled heap.

"Oh, well, that's just great! I got lift all right—a whole five seconds of it! What a _great _accomplishment!" he cried sarcastically and he kicked the pile of metal that was his pack. "I'll never get this stupid thing to fly." There wasn't much left to do now except sulk, maybe.

Jay looked up at the sun, then checked his watch. It was already three-thirty. If he wanted to get the groceries and be home in time for dinner he'd better hurry, so he scooped up his glider, folded it, and wore it as a back pack while he went to the grocery store.

He opened the shop door and was greeted by a soft, tingling bell. He waved kindly to the lady behind the cash register, Mrs. Flynn, a very kind woman with dark brown hair and slanted eyes.

"Testing another invention, I see," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, just tinkering," Jay flushed. He didn't exactly like to talk about his inventions unless they actually worked.

"I saw the flight from here. Very impressive, young Walker." Mrs. Flynn was trying to be encouraging, but Jay's checks turned tomato red with embarrassment. He laughed an uncomfortable 'thank you' and went into the produce section of the store. He wished there was somewhere he could store his very obvious backpack contraption, or maybe he could create a way for it to fold into a much more convenient, super compact—

"Hey!" he cried as two kids which he went to school with bumped passed him, banging their fists against his jet pack. They jeered at him as they passed and mumbled 'nerd' and 'geek freak' under their breaths. Jay sighed again. It was bad enough he had to deal with this sort of thing at school, but sometimes it was just unbearable to run into kids like them in everyday places.

He looked up and saw the other kids—two brothers—rejoin their mother who was standing by her shopping cart and seemed to hardly notice them approach as she scanned the shelves. Jay silently envied them. It was rare that he would go somewhere with his mom because both she and Jay were always working. Either she was at the store and he was busy with chores or homework, or he was at the store and she was at home working along with his dad.

Jay was born in a scrapyard called 'Ed & Edna; Scrap N' Junk'. His father primarily ran it, selling scrap metal to the army since he was too old to enlist and they barely made ends meet as it was. His mom helped where she could; she organised donation events where people would come together to supply more scrap metal for the army, and would keep their household running seamlessly. Meanwhile neither of them had any time to homeschool Jay, which had been his original curriculum up until middle school when the war started, so he was sent to a public school in Ninjago City; their junkyard was only a few minutes outside of city limits. He had a very hard time making friends there, mostly because he was seen as a very strange kid who came from a strange place and liked to tinker a lot by himself. He, like many other boys his age, had thought about joining the army, but he was only sixteen, so he'd be in for a long wait before he could do anything like that.

Jay quickly roused himself from his thoughts and hurried to finish his errands. He paid for the groceries and then scampered out into the busy streets where he struggled not to hit anyone passing by with his giant back pack-glider. The bus station wasn't particularly busy, and he got there just in time to catch the last bus heading toward his home, then he sat among the crowd of people and was silent as the vehicle steadily bounced him around in his seat.

When the bus stopped at his destination, there were very few people left riding it. Jay got out and looked around at the barren, dry landscape and the lush forests that laid beyond.

_Of all places to build a business, why such an ugly place? _Jay thought.

This was a large clearing outside the city where not very much grew aside from small tufts of yellow-green grass and a few scraggly bushes. The bus had dropped him off a few yards away from the junkyard proper and he still had to walk down a long strip of road before he reached his home; groceries and battered glider in hand.

The junkyard was fairly old and, in some regards, tacky. It was a massive assortment of all kinds of odds and ends, mostly cars and motorbikes, surrounded by a wall of sandy stone with only one entrance: a big metal gate. Around the gate were twinkle lights in all the colours of the rainbow and an illuminated sign which read:

Ed & Edna

Scrap N' Junk!

Jay looked down at his watch again then quickened his pace. He wound his way passed some old carburettors and car batteries before arriving at a silver, broken-down RV which had a large, rectangular storage container welded to the back of it for added living space.

He dropped his glider outside the front door and went inside calling out, "Mom! I'm home! The carrots were on sale, so I've got some change for you!" He went into the kitchen to drop off the bags of groceries but didn't find his mother in there, so he went to the nearby living room and stopped when he saw his father—an older man with a wrinkled, stubbly face and white hair, slicked back—sitting on the couch with an old man in white robes who he had never seen before. "Sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to interrupt." His father looked up at him with sad, green eyes.

"Jay, honey," said his mother, who appeared out of nowhere and was standing beside him now. Her brown eyes also had an uncomfortable amount of sadness in them. "There's someone we'd like you to meet. This is Master Wu," she gestured to the old man and he rose from his seat followed by Jay's father.

"Nice to meet you," said the master. His smile was hidden under a bushy white beard, and when his eyes became squinted with wrinkles it was almost impossible to see his striking blue eyes. Jay suddenly felt an odd mixture tension and comfort; a knotting in his stomach and a tingling in the back of his head.

"Am I in some sort of trouble?" Jay asked his parents.

"Not at all," said Master Wu. "However there is something rather pressing which I need to speak with you about." Wu led Jay over to the couch where they both sat down while his parents stood a few feet away, visibly nervous. "Jay, what is your greatest aspiration?"

"My, what?" Jay asked in confusion. "Aspiration? Well, um... I dunno, I guess... I guess it would be to help society with my inventions. You know, make the world a better place, and all that jazz." Wu looked him in the eye and nodded slowly.

"That is a very noble aspiration, Jay," he replied. "Very noble, indeed. However, there may be a better way to achieve such a goal than constructing jet packs."

"How did you—"

"Jay, you may not know it yet, but there is something very special inside of you," Wu continued. "And I need that special something." At this point Jay's heart was beating very fast. "I am, in fact, the military advisor to the Imperial Army."

Jay gasped. "Are you saying you need me to help fight in the war?!" he blurted.

Wu chuckled. "In a way, yes. But please, keep this information quiet. I cannot stress enough the importance of this... particular situation." Jay's face was beaming with excitement.

"Whatever you say, Master Wu!" he cried as he leapt off the couch. Then a shadow crossed his face and his excitement left him. "Mom, Dad?" He turned to look at them with an expression that said, '_you knew about all of this, didn't you?_' Edna gave a weak smile and Ed shoved his hands into the pockets of his dirty overalls. Suddenly Edna was smothering him in a hug. "Mom, what..?"

"Oh, honey! We couldn't be more proud of you!" she said shakily, but happily.

"You mean, you're actually gonna let me go?" Jay asked.

"It's not ideal," said his father as he walked over and he stole a glance at Wu. "But yes. We're letting you go." Edna let go of Jay and he looked up into Ed's eyes. "You need to—well, you see, I-I—you—this... how, gosh, how to explain?"

"There will be no need, Edward," said Wu as he rose. "As I said before, this must be kept quiet. He will learn of everything he needs to know in due time."

"Need to know? What do I need to know?" Jay asked. "Why all the secrecy? I'm trust worthy! What's going on exactly? Am I joining the army or a secret club?"

Wu walked over to him and laid a leathery hand on his shoulder. Suddenly that knot in his stomach vanished and Jay felt unbelievably calm. "Young Jay, it is not your trust worthiness which I am concerned for. In any case, there is nothing more I can tell you, except for this." He reached into his robe and pulled out a small scroll which he then gave to Jay. "You are completely free to drop out of school as I have already made the arrangements. Now, unfortunately, time is short, and I must leave."

"Wait, Master Wu!" Jay said. "When will I see you again?"

He smiled. "Very soon." He turned to Ed and Edna. "Thank you for your hospitality." Then they both nodded to each other, pain in their eyes. Wu left through the front door and Jay watched him disappear beyond the junkyard gate.

"Okay, spill it!" Jay cried after a moment. "What was that all about, really? And why are you so calm about this?" Edna looked half to tears as she gave her son another hug.

"We're sorry," she said. "We can't tell you here."

"But, uh, why don't you open up that scroll?" Ed suggested.

Jay had completely forgotten about the scroll. He ripped it open and began reading the artful writing.

Jay Walker,

I realise that you must be very confused and have many

questions, but answers will be supplied in due time. For now,

report to the Yamadera Monastery in the Wayward Mountains

outside of Ninjago City. There you will meet the woman Ann Jing

Haruto. She is an ally of mine. Await further instructions.

"Await fourth instructions..." Jay repeated under his breath. This was all so mysterious. But why? Were there spies nearby? Were they safe? "Mom, Dad, I don't know if leaving you right now is the right thing. I mean, who's gonna help you with the scrap, Dad?"

"Jay, don't be ridiculous," said Ed. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! This is your chance to make a difference in the war!"

"But what if—"

"Jay, there'll be no arguing about this!" Ed said firmly, but with a noticeable sadness in his voice. "You're going... a-and that's final."

"Dad, I don't wanna argue," said Jay and he leaned in for a hug. "I get that this is super important, but I just... I don't know if I'm ready... and... I really don't wanna let you down."

"You won't, son," he replied. Then he cleared his throat. "Now, what did that scroll say? Where does ol' Master Wu need you?"

The rest of the evening was devoted to getting Jay ready for his trip to the monastery. Apparently he needed to be ready to leave by morning. He was slightly shocked at how quickly this was all going, but he assumed the situation was dire, and so he packed a large suitcase—well, mostly Edna packed—for the journey he was apparently taking alone. Ed and Edna would be too busy at home to come with him, plus they were worried it might attract attention. Whose attention, Jay didn't know, but he was a bit too unsettled to ask. He knew about the skeleton army and how merciless they'd been to Ninjago, everyone did. But they were not the sort of evil one whispers about in the dark of night as if one might pop out of the very ground and slice your throat.

Jay wanted to keep asking questions desperately, but he had been promised answers by Master Wu, and so he bit his tongue and waited for when he arrived at the monastery the next day.

That night, Jay couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning, trying to wrap his head around everything. Every thought eventually lead to a question, and each question only made him more frustrated. Mostly, though, he was nervous. He felt like a tremendous pressure had been put on him, and he was afraid of what that meant. There was also the fact that he would be leaving the only home he had ever known; leaving the only people whom he loved, in order to fight in a war.

Morning seemed to take an eternity to arrive, but once the sun was up, so was Jay. His stomach churned with that uneasy yet excited energy one sometimes gets before doing something drastic, and he didn't feel like eating very much breakfast. His mother and father watched him leave the junkyard in the cold, light morning air, and before he realised it, he was off on his own for the very first time.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ice

Zane opened his eyes and saw pale sunlight shining down on him. He had been dreaming again; dreaming of a life he had never known. Every night it was the same, and every night he woke up before he saw the ending.

In the dream, he was alone, as far as he could tell, in a small room which he had no memory of. He would look around and find... nothing. No furniture, no toys, no kitchen, no living room, no other people besides himself. Then he would get the feeling that there was someone walking up behind him; a man he used to know. He would turn around, desperate to know that he wasn't alone, and then the dream would end.

Zane sighed loudly and got up slowly. His legs were stiff with sleep, and his vision was blurry as he moved to close the open window. He didn't care for the warm sun, or the sound twittering birds, so long as the man in his dream evaded him.

Once he had changed into his day clothes, he walked a short ways to his kitchen where he prepared himself an omelette, then ate it quietly at the table in the living room. He sat on his knees in silence for a long time after that.

He looked up suddenly as the clock on his wall struck the hour.

_DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!_

He breathed in deeply, then set about his chores. He washed his dirty dishes, wiped down the counters and table, then took a quick glance at a recipe book, scribbled down the names of a few ingredients on a thin piece of paper, and left out the front door.

The town in which he lived was called Sakana Village, so named because it was one of the most prosperous fishing towns in Ninjago. Zane had woken up here many years ago after a terrible blizzard, bloody and bruised, or so the people told him. He had no memory of how he had gotten there, or of where he was from, or who his parents were. All he had was his own name and a strange dream. The villagers had taken him in and treated the numerous wounds that stained his body. Here Zane remained for seven years, silently hoping that one day he would find or remember his past.

Sakana Village sat at the mouth of Serpent's Bay; right in-between the border of Imperial territory, and Garmadon territory. Yet the townspeople cared very little for the war, and most days it seemed very far away. This was thanks to Zane. He had no idea where he had learned to fight, but he was exceptional at it. He would ward off any and all soldiers, Imperial or Skulken, keeping the people and their resources safe. There had been a few brave men who left the village seeking to join the army, but apart from the occasional attempted raid, Sakana Village was left to its own devices.

"Hey, look! It's Mr. M!" cried a small child as Zane walked by. The local children were fascinated by Zane, and his story, and so they took to calling him Mr. Mysterious, or M. for short. The crowd of other young ones surrounding the first child all gawked and stared at Zane for a moment, then leaped upon him with their usual unbridled enthusiasm and curiosity.

"Mr. M!" cried a little girl as she and others struggled to keep up with him as he walked. "Did you find out what the dream means yet?"

Zane felt his lips curl into a gentle smile. "Not yet," he replied in a steady voice.

"Where are you goin?" asked a little boy with messy black hair.

"To the market," said Zane.

"Can we come too?!" said several children at once. Zane gave an amused nod. They all cheered and began happily trotting, skipping and wandering by his side as they wound their way through the cobblestone streets.

"My brother said tha-that you can fight off a hundred bad guys with your hands!" one boy exclaimed. "How did you do it?"

Zane's smile faltered. He remembered the day the boy was referring to well. It was several months ago, but the village was still talking about it. A small band of Skulken soldiers had come to the town one night in an attempt to raid it of its supplies. A young girl, about thirteen, had been out in the nearby forest picking flowers and on her way home she had spotted the troops, armed with their black swords and spears. She had, of course, run to find someone and warn them before it was too late. She made it into town shortly thereafter, and it did not take long for word to reach Zane.

The night air was positively frigid, and Zane remembered how the murky fog bank rolled in from the sea as he made his way to confront the soldiers. The woods beyond were still shrouded by pitch blackness, so he called out into the night, "Hear me, minions of Garmadon! You are trespassing on this land! Leave now, or face my sword!" and raised his katana to show that he was armed. The silence replied with a single, silver arrow which clipped his hand and sent the sword falling to the ground with a loud _CLANG! _

The fog engulfed him, and so did the Skulkens. They charged at him, weapons drawn, and Zane could feel the power tingling at his fingertips. He didn't have time to reach for his weapon, he had only enough time for instinct.

Out of all the mysteries of his past, this was his greatest: for as long he could remember, he had fought with a strange power inside of him. When it managed to break free, ice would appear from his hands and freeze anything nearby. He had gained control over it, but he rarely used it, for fear of what the villagers would think of him if they knew that he was... different. Now, however, he had no choice. In the shelter of the freezing mist, Zane unleashed his power on the enemy soldiers and they were helpless to stop him. Most of them were killed instantly by the large, icy, stalagmites which had ruptured their skulls, meanwhile others had simply been frozen to death. A handful managed to escape, but Zane let them go with a warning, "Leave, and never return!"

He trusted the fog to keep the ice hidden until morning when the sun would melt it away. Then he retrieved his sword and marched back into town triumphant. Apparently a few people had managed to catch a glimpse of what had happened that night, or at least he speculated as much, but had thankfully not seen him use his powers.

Zane watched the ground underneath his feet as he said, "Discipline and hard work. That's how I defeated them." The little boy's eyes fell with disappointment. He had been hoping for a more exciting answer, but Zane was not one for telling stories. Especially stories about fighting.

The children soon became bored with Zane and went to distract themselves with a game while he finished his shopping at the market. His interactions with the sellers were short and to the point, and his arms were full groceries as he made his way home again.

"Mr. M!" Zane turned and saw the same little girl from earlier running up behind him. "Mr. M! There's a stranger in town!" Zane's face turned to stone. They did not get visitors very often, and when they did, they were usually the unpleasant kind.

He put his bags on the ground and let the little girl lead him to the town square. There were hardly any people around, and any who were nearby were scuttling away to avoid the stranger. The little girl was bouncing up and down and pointing as she asked, "Is he a bad guy? Are you gonna have to fight him?"

Zane looked up and saw an old man with a long white beard standing all alone in the town square. He had on a bamboo coolie hat, an off-white robe, and was leaning on an old bamboo staff.

"Akari, run home, now," Zane said calmly. The girl obeyed without hesitation. "Stranger," Zane called as he stepped forward. "What business do have here?" The old man looked up and his blue eyes shone from underneath the brim of his hat.

"Please forgive my intrusion," he answered. "I am looking for someone."

Zane lifted an eyebrow. "Who is it you're looking for?"

"A young man by the name of Zane."

Zane's breath caught and he shifted uncomfortably. "I am he."

The old man smiled. "My name is Master Wu," he said.

"Nice to meet you," Zane said politely.

"And you, but may I suggest we talk somewhere more private? I have a matter of great importance to discuss."

"O-of course," Zane stuttered and he lead Wu to his house. A part of him wanted to shoo this man from town immediately, but the other was desperately curious. Once they were behind closed doors, Zane asked, "How do you know my name?"

Wu stood for a moment, looking him up and down. He stroked his beard as he said, "There is hardly a soul in Ninjago who does not know the rumours of Sakana Village, and the warrior who guards it." Zane's heart fell, but he steadied himself quickly.

"What's it to you?" he asked.

"Well, the rumours aren't the whole story, are they?" Wu answered. "Most versions tend to leave out the part about the Skulkens being frozen to death by magic ice."

Zane's stomach twisted with panic and he stood up straighter. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Wu was silent for another moment. "Zane... you are right to hide your powers, but you needn't from me." Zane was about to ask another question when Wu cut him off. "Tell me, why do you defend this village?"

He was taken aback by this sudden topic change, but answered, "These people helped me. They saved me. The least I can do is return the favour. They're free to join in the fighting if they want, but everyone else here is under my protection. The soldiers of both armies would sap this place dry without me here guarding it."

Wu seemed to be thinking about something very troubling. "Zane, if you could put an end to the war, would you?"

Again, Zane was confused by this old man, but answered, "Of course."

"Then I have a proposition for you." Wu walked to the nearest window. "I am in need of great warriors such as you. Defeating Lord Garmadon won't be easy, but I know of a way."

"How?" Zane breathed.

"Unfortunately, that is as much as I can say. There are not many safe places left in Ninjago for such discussions." Wu walked back over to Zane and stroked his beard again.

"So, you're with the Imperial Army? And you need my help to defeat Garmadon?" Zane summarised. Wu nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, but I can't just leave my home unguarded."

"I will arrange for my personal guards to protect these people," said Wu. When Zane looked ready to retaliate, he quickly added, "I assure you, they are the most honourable men I know, hand picked by myself. They will not cause any trouble here." There was another moment of silence between them. "The day is growing short, and so I must say farewell, but before I do," he retrieved a small rolled up scroll from his robes, "take this. You will understand when you open it. Thank you for your hospitality." Wu gave a shallow bow, then left. Zane was alone again, dumbfounded.

"Wait!" Zane cried as he rushed outside after him, but the streets were empty. He looked down and presently found his grocery bags sitting at his feet with a small note attached. He picked them up and read, _you really ought to be more careful where you leave your things. -Wu_

An uneasy smile flickered across Zane's face as he brought the bags inside and laid them on the kitchen counter, but it was soon replaced by a frown. A great deal had happened in a very short amount of time and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. There was something about the way Wu had looked at him... it was as if he knew him. But Zane was sure that they'd never met before, unless...

He opened the scroll in his pale hands and began to read feverishly.

Zane Julien,

Rest assured that your secret is safe with me. We have much

to discuss, but I'm afraid it will have to wait. If you are so

inclined, please meet me at the Yamadera monastery in the

Wayward Mountains outside of Ninjago City. There, you'll

be greeted by the woman Ann Jing Haruto. She is a trusted

ally of mine. Await further instructions.

_Zane Julien... Zane Julien... Zane Julien... _the words repeated over and over in his head. His last name... Wu _did _know him. There were so many things he wanted to ask; so, so many things. Zane sat down so he could process what he had just learned. He thought about it for a long time. He thought about it while he made his dinner, while he ate, while he cleaned, and by the time the sun had set, he was still thinking.

_Julien... _the name sounded vaguely familiar, but like the man in his dream, the true memory was still a blur.

Unable to think much more, Zane decided to go for a walk to clear his thoughts. The night air felt good on his face and his breath came out in small puffs. He passed by houses that belonged to many people he knew well, and the idea of leaving pained him, but at the same time, this could be his only chance to learn who he was. Where he came from. Who his parents were. Besides, if Wu's mission was successful, then after they defeated Garmadon, his friends would be safe from ransacks forever.

He was now standing on the edge of the longest dock in the harbour, staring out beyond the horizon, pondering the possibilities. He reached for his wrist and held his arms together, as a child might do as he stands in front of a classroom, and presently began to fiddle with a delicate bracelet which he had on. The braided cord came together and attached to a pendant: a single marble intricately wrapped in a twisted, silvery wire; and in darkness, it gave off a soft glow.

Zane watched the stars above him twinkle and flicker in the inky blackness and felt his heart sink with grief.

By the next morning he still had not made up his mind, and the inner conflict was driving him mad. He must have walked over every inch of the town just thinking about what he should do, when the sound of the Robinsons' radio came to his ear.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson were out in the garden tending to their plants and listening to the news. They were one of the only ones in town who had a son fighting in the war, and they agonised over it every day.

"_Repairs are still being made in the eastern provinces that were once under Lord Garmadon's control. There are an estimated thirty people missing, and a hundred and eighty-nine people suffering from malnourishment and physical abuse in Sakura Valley alone. The Imperial Army has stationed several relief corps there to help with what can only be described as in-human torture._

_In other news, Skulkin forces have been spotted on the southern side of the Jade River..."_

Zane's head hung low. All those men out there, all those people, suffering while he had a potential chance to end it all. A chance for Ron Robinson to come home to his parents early, safe and sound. Of course this was the right thing to do, there wasn't a doubt in his mind, but that wasn't what stopped him from boarding a train that very minute. What troubled him was the authenticity of Wu's word. Could they really defeat Garmadon?

This was the thought that accompanied him throughout the entirety of the day, and when he drifted off into sleep that night.

Again, the dream found him in the darkness and he desperately wished to know more, but then, right as he turned around to face the stranger, he vanished into the darkness beyond.

But wait... he didn't wake up. Was he still asleep?

"_Trust Wu..."_

Zane's eyes opened at once. Had he merely imagined that, or had he truly heard it?

He sat up and looked about him. His small house was the same as it ever was.

On the third day, he made his way to the village square where he explained the situation to everyone. He would be leaving for a short while, and in his absence, trusted guards would be put in place to protect them from any dangers. The people were uneasy, to say the least, but as Zane made his rounds, hugging his friends goodbye, they all felt a bit more relaxed.

He packed a single, small bag and then began his journey down the long, gravel road ahead. A few of the children ran after him and walked by his side for a while, but sooner or later they were called back by their mothers. Zane now walked alone.

He reached a small train station within the hour, paid for his ticket, and boarded his train when it arrived an hour later. The ride was fine and uneventful, but Zane felt awfully nervous the farther he got from his home. This was the first time he had ever gone this far away before, and it came to him then that he knew very little outside of Sakana. He became very aware of all the other people in the car and held his case closer, fearing that one of them might try to mug him, or even worse—try to have a conversation with him.

His train came to another, larger station where he got off and bought a second ticket for a train headed to Ninjago City.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Water

Ann paced back and forth in her bedroom, staring intently at the floor as she went. The room was scarcely decorated; only a bed, a tea table, a closet, and a teal and blue tapestry hanging at the head of the sleeping mat. There was a window on the far wall, and on its cill, a handful of intricate seashells. She stopped to admire one—a white baby ear shell—then sighed and put it back in its place, blowing away a bit of dust which had gathered on top of it. She returned to her pacing.

What was taking Wu so long? It had only been two days, but Garmadon's forces hadn't made any attempts to push forward, and she was growing anxious. At any moment, something could go horribly wrong, she just knew it.

"Haruto!"

Ann jumped at her last name, but gathered herself quickly and responded to the guard outside her door, "Yes?"

"There's a young man at the gate. He claims to have been sent by Master Wu and he requested you specifically," the guard replied.

Ann instantly knew that this must be one of the four elementals that Wu was recruiting and rushed into the hall.

"Thank you," she said to the guard. "I will see to it myself." The guard bowed respectfully and she took off toward the front gate. Finally, some good news. Hopefully this meant that Wu's plan was coming together.

Although it was silly, she felt anticipation rise in her chest as she went. For so long she had heard Wu tell her of the Golden Weapons and the four warriors destined to wield them, but she never once thought that she would ever meet them. Images of tall, strong soldiers filled her head, dressed from head to toe in armour that reflected their element—maybe fire-proof armour for the fire elemental, or stone armour for the earth elemental—and she was surely shocked when she reached the front doors, pulled them back, and saw the scrawny form of Jay Walker. He was at least six inches shorter than her—however, she was six feet tall—with short, golden brown hair, electric blue eyes, pale skin, and he was wearing an old t-shirt with some very worn-through jeans.

"Hi," he said sheepishly. "Are you Ann Jing Haruto?"

Ann had to stop herself from laughing. He was definitely younger than she was, with very little muscle and clearly no battle training. Was she seriously supposed to believe that he was destined to wield one of the golden weapons? She tried to keep herself form staring and gave a quick bow. "I am," she answered. "And who are you?"

"Oh, uh, my name's Jay. Jay Walker. Master Wu sent me. Uh, here," and he handed her a small, rolled up scroll; one of four, which Ann had seen Wu prepare.

She nodded before handing it back and said, "Please, come in."

Jay looked apprehensive at first, but reached down to grab his duffle bag and marched into the monastery with a shaky sort of confidence. Ann let him go ahead of her and peered out into the dense foliage that surrounded the property, past the open doors. Surely no one had followed him, but she still felt it necessary to check. Then she closed the doors and lead Jay through the courtyard and into the main building.

"Points for a dramatic place to live," said Jay as they walked. Ann ignored him. "Not the talkative type, huh?" Jay continued after she stayed silent. Ann didn't do 'small talk', but she also knew that she shouldn't be rude to her guest.

"No," she replied.

They continued walking until they reached a dead-end hall with only four doors total on both of its walls. They went all the way to the end and she opened the door on the right. The room was much the same as her's was: a sleeping mat, a closet, a tea table, a window, and a tapestry hanging on the wall. However this tapestry was blue and silver.

"These will be your living quarters," Ann explained as a dazed Jay walked slowly into the room.

"So... when's lunch?" He asked, dropping his bag to the floor.

"Mealtimes are at eight, noon, and six. The bell tower will ring for each," Ann explained. "At noon, I will send someone to guide you to the dining room." She waited to see if he had anything else to ask, and when he stayed silent she bowed again, perhaps a little too hastily, and said goodbye.

She stood, looking at the closed shōji door, and felt her insides squirm. This couldn't be right. This was a boy, barely fit for farming, let alone fighting. But she took a deep breath and said to herself, "Sensei Wu does everything for a reason. He must have a plan."

Another day passed by, filled with simple, mundane pastimes, and the only place where Ann saw Jay was in the dinning room at mealtimes. She could tell he was uneasy—most definitely from being brought to such a strange place in such a strange manner—but he refused to let it fully show. Every time their eyes met he would try to crack a smile or a joke; to both, Ann would only reply with a slight nod.

The following morning, however, Ann was once again summoned to the front gates. She hoped that the next elemental would surpass Jay—and surpass him, he did. Ann opened the doors and saw not a scrawny, young boy, but the muscular physique of eighteen-year-old Cole. He was taller than her by quite a few inches, with shaggy black hair, dark eyes and large eyebrows. He was wearing a sleeveless, grey hoodie, denim jeans, and brand-name sneakers. There was a black and gold suit case in his left hand, and a denim blue backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Hello," he said in soft yet gruff voice. "You must be Ann Jing?"

"Yes," and she bowed respectfully. "And you are..?"

"My name is Cole Becket."

She cracked a small smile. "A pleasure to meet you." She moved to one side, extending her hand toward the the inner courtyard. "Please, come in." He walked in, and again, before she closed the gates, Ann checked the outside forest.

They were both silent as they wound their way through the hallways and rooms, to which Ann was grateful; even with a person like Cole, who immediately had her respect, she shied away from any actual conversation.

She led them to the same hallway where Jay's room was. Cole's bedroom was the first door on the right-hand side of the hall, decorated to look very much like all the other rooms at the monastery, save for the tapestry, of course, which was black and orange. Ann explained about the mealtimes and so forth, then bowed and was about to leave when Cole suddenly asked,

"Ann Jing, when will I speak with Master Wu?"

"Master Wu has yet to return from his journey; but I assure you that you will see him when the time is right. No sooner, no later," said Ann.

"Well that's sorta vague," Cole replied.

Ann shrugged. "I suppose." He gave her a smile and she returned with a nod.

'Perhaps there's hope for these boys after all,' Ann thought as she made her way back to her own room. At least _one _of them seemed combat ready so far, but she tried to remain optimistic. After all, there were two more elementals yet to come—surely at least one of them had potential like Cole.

Once again, life continued in much the same way for Ann as it always had—early mornings, long runs, breakfast, training, lunch, study, more training, dinner, then bed.

Cole and Jay had met at lunch the very day that Cole had arrived. They talked some during meals, sharing about their lives and revealing how strange they thought this whole situation was, but Ann could tell that there was something else on Cole's mind that he wasn't saying, and which left him deeply troubled.

_breath in... breath out... breathe in... breath out... breath in—_

"Hey, Ann! Whatcha doing?"

Ann sucked in that last breath very sharply and let it out like a deflating ballon. "Keaton! What have I told you about interrupting my meditation?" Ann chastised.

"Sorry," Keaton said quietly.

Keaton was Ann's little sister. She was a very skinny twelve-year-old, with dark brown hair done up in twin half-buns, pale green eyes, tan skin, and very little discipline.

"I just got back and thought you'd like to see me," Keaton continued. She smiled coyly.

Ann's smile was weak as she got up to stand. "Of course, how silly of me. It's good to see you again." She hugged her sister gently. "Now, report!"

Keaton practically jumped with excitement. "Yes, Captain Ma'am, sir, Ma'am!" she cried. Ann cringed, but let it slide. "No unusual activity to report! Garmadon's forces remain at the Jade river, and they're not moving." Ann rested her chin in her palm and began pacing. "So, is that good, or bad?" Keaton asked.

"I'm not sure," said Ann. "It could mean a lot of things..."

The sound of their voices was lost in the vast, open room in the centre of that particular building, and Ann's pacing began to make the wooden floorboards creek. She knew that at first glance this was fine—after all, it meant no bloodshed for the time being—but if they weren't advancing, that meant that they must be planning something else. Either a way to get around their forces or... get to the weapons...

Ann shook her head. Wu would make sure that that never happened. She just needed to be patient, like he had taught her.

"Never mind all that, now," Ann said, turning back to her sister. "It's about time we return to our usual lessons."

Keaton smiled as she followed Ann out of the large room and into of the gardens. There was a small waterfall which fed into a thin stream; it snaked its way through the rocks and bushes of the garden, passing through a tranquil coy pond, until disappearing behind a vast array of trees. They followed a stone path leading to a bridge over the water and stepped onto the soft grass next to the snake-like stream. Both girls took a similar stance and breathed in slowly.

"Now, Keaton—" said Ann.

"But Ann-Ji, can't you go first? You always do the prettiest tricks!" Keaton begged. Ann sighed, partly in frustration, partly in flattery.

"All right," she said, giving in to Keaton's puppy dog eyes.

Ann placed her right foot out diagonally and raised her arms; she bent down on her outstretched leg, and her arms followed, then she put her weight back on her left foot, straightening, and her arms went up in a wave-like motion. She did this three times, and as she moved, there was a disturbance in the creek. Keaton awed as a steady stream of glistening water rose up and hovered between Ann's hands, sunlight bouncing off of the many angles it morphed in between. With a flick of her fingers the water split into five sections and morphed into translucent butterflies that flirted around Keaton's head. Then, Ann placed her right foot behind her and held her arms steady, outstretched.

"It's so pretty!" Keaton cried, clapping her hands in excitement. Ann smiled.

She lifted her left hand, causing the water together and causing it to elongate, and as she stepped forward, she waved her hand, sending the water curving backward. With one final motion down, the water returned to the stream, as if it had never left.

As Keaton looked down at where it had been, she said, "I wish I could control water."

Ann stopped cold and watched her sister carefully. A deep pain rose up in her chest. "Keaton, your power is amazing, too," she said quietly. "In fact, I'm jealous of _you. _Being able to ride on the wind, and create tornados? That is an exceptional power." She stood next to her sister and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you're just saying that," Keaton replied sadly. "But thanks." She turned and gave her a big hug.

"Now," said Ann, clearing her throat and pulling away. "Onto your training. Show me you've been practising."

She stepped back, giving Keaton some space to work. The young girl planted her feet firmly beneath her, her arms resting at her sides. Then she brought her hands up and around, creating two imaginary circles that intersected. When her arms were level again, she pulled them apart from each other and a strong breeze could be felt blowing from the space in front of her. She moved her hands around it as if it were a ball of clay that she was moulding. Then, adjusting her stance, she reached both forward and sent a strong gust of wind shooting up, past the walls of the garden, and into the sky. Then she returned to her original stance, taking a deep breath as she went, and fell still.

She turned back to her sister suddenly, beaming with pride. Ann smiled back and said, "All right, yes, we're all very impressed. Come on. Next set."

Ann stood next to her sister now, and they both began to move through a set of motions which their Sensei Wu had mapped out for them. They had the same basic flow, but differences that accommodated their element more specifically; that way they could train together more easily.

Every day, especially when they were together, they would come out to the garden to train like this. It used to be more fun when they were younger, but as of the last six years it'd been harder to find something to smile about. Keaton never stopped trying to keep things optimistic, though. It was something that Ann both admired and resented.

"So, who are the two new boys?" Keaton asked after a while.

"They are two of the Elemental Masters. Now focus," Ann ordered.

"Elemental Masters?!" Keaton cried, stopping mid-movement. "Which elements? Are they _really _powerful? Will they wield the golden weapons?"

"Keaton, calm down!" Ann snapped. "I know about as much you do. Sensei Wu will tell us what we need to know when we need to know it. Now hush." Keaton's face fell and she went back to practise.

Truth be told, Ann was just as eager to know the answers to those questions, but she was better at controlling herself. Over the years, she had tried to be a positive influence for Keaton by showing her how to be disciplined and hard working, but almost nothing she did seemed to make an impact; nothing could crush her joyful and child-like enthusiasm.

No more was said between them as they trained. Before long, the sky was turning red with the coming night, and Ann was eating dinner while Keaton, who sat beside her, tried her best not to stare at Cole and Jay who sat farther down at another table. Ann gave Keaton a subtle nudge with her elbow when the staring continued for far longer than it needed to.

A messenger suddenly walked into the room, making a beeline for Ann. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Another man at the gate." Ann nodded to him and rose from her mat when Keaton jumped up and excitedly whispered that she wanted to come too. Ann told her to stay put. She sat down again, but she was visibly unhappy about it.

When Ann opened the gates for a third time she met Zane; tall, fit, and very defined. He had short blonde hair, ice blue eyes, and wore a cool grey turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, and across his body was strapped a large, tan messenger bag. Greetings were exchanged, then Ann welcomed him in, customarily checking the suspicious outside world, and then the gates were closed once again.

Ann watched Zane closely as she showed him to his room—which was right across from Cole's. He walked with a sense of caution, always hesitating before the next room. He was watching her suspiciously, too. Like he was excepting her to leap at him and attack at any moment. When she offered to show him to the dining room where dinner was being served, he declined politely, saying that he wasn't hungry. Ann bowed and left.

He was definitely a very curious fellow, but Ann's final assessment of him was that he would make a fine soldier.

Keaton pelted Ann with questions when she returned to the dining room, but she refused to talk about it while there were other people around. So she tried again as they walked together to their bedroom, and Ann, very tired and very annoyed, did her best to answer all of her questions.

Ann had just laid a hand on her bedroom door when a guard came up behind her and said to both of the girls, "Master Wu has returned. He's in his study."

Without a second's hesitation, both of them bolted down the hall. The sun had completely vanished, and their only guide in the darkness were candles and moonlight.

"Sensei Wu," said Ann, breathlessly, as she stepped into his study and bowed. Keaton followed suit after closing the door behind them.

Wu's study was fairly small compared to other rooms at the monastery. Bookshelves covered some of the walls, and there was one, low, square table in the middle of the floor, with four cushions set at every side. A steaming tea pot was always seen on top of the table, Wu's one great love.

The old man was standing, looking out of the eastern window and frowning. He nodded to his students respectfully, but didn't say or do anything for a long while. He seemed, to Ann, very tired.

"Sensei?" Ann asked.

He breathed in deeply before saying, "Have all three boys arrived?"

"Three? Aren't there supposed to be _four_?" Keaton asked. Ann shot her a look to quiet her, but she probably would have asked the very same thing if Keaton hadn't beaten her to it.

"Yes, Sensei," Ann blurted. "Cole Becket, Jay Walker, and Zane Julien, have all arrived."

"Very good," he replied quietly. "And yes, little one. There are meant to be four, but that is precisely what troubles me." He turned to face them with a grave expression. "The final elemental resides in Garmadon's Territory."

"What can we do?" asked Ann.

"There is only one thing we _can _do. We must extract him. But we must wait until conditions are right," he went on.

"I will send scouts to monitor the area, should any opportunities present themselves," Ann said confidently.

"Very good." Wu sat down on one of the cushions and sighed. In the dim firelight he seemed to age a thousand years.

"Is that all, Sensei?"

"Yes. You may go now. Rest. We have much to do tomorrow."

Ann Jing bowed to her Sensei and then left him, Keaton followed at her heels. They walked slower this time to their room, and when they passed through one of the courtyards, Ann stopped for a moment, letting the cold night air sting her nose.

"What is it?" Keaton asked quietly.

Ann looked around at the still and tranquil place. There was a chill riding up her spine as she thought about the coming days. "Nothing," she finally said.

"Hey, it's okay to be a little scared," Keaton comforted. Ann looked down at her sister with wide eyes. She looked back with nothing but compassion.

She smiled. "Thanks, Keaton, but you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. Come on. You need your rest."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fire

Kai grumbled to himself as he slaved over his forge. He was sweaty, filthy, and tired, but he pressed on, enduring the heat. He had to, for his parents' sake.

"Are you almost finished?" asked Nya, his younger sister, as she brought more fuel for the fire. She was shorter than him with silky black bangs and a short bob cut. Her light brown eyes were tired and weary, and her red qipao (kee-pee — don't ask me why it's pronounced that way) was stained with dirt, flour, and water.

"Do I look finished to you?" Kai snapped. His forehead and mouth were scrunched up into a frown and his breathing was heavy.

"Okay, okay. I was just asking," Nya said.

She couldn't really blame him for being upset. After all, he was under a lot of pressure. A year ago, when Garamdon had taken over their land, he forced their father, a blacksmith, to make weapons for his army. One day, Kai accidentally ruined the last few weapons he and his father were making together, and Mr. Rayson had shouldered the blame. As punishment, Garmadon took away their parents. He said that he would return them if Kai and Nya were able to work off their debt. Kai, being the oldest, was now in charge of the house, the forge, everything. Nya did what she could to help in the forge and in the home, but every passing day seemed to wear on both of them more and more.

Kai was relieved when his sword was completed and he held it up to his face to admire it while he waited for Nya to return with some polish. He was so close to finishing his latest order, one step closer to seeing his parents again. He put the sword down and wiped some sweat from his forehead and neck, then reached for a bucket of clear, cold water to refresh himself.

"Hey, look what I made," said Nya quietly as she returned holding the polish and a small tray of melonpan (a kind of sweet bun). They were somewhat small, and a bit misshapen, but Nya wasn't exactly known for her cooking.

"Thanks, sis," Kai said with a half smile. They both sat down with a bun in their mouths and a sword on Kai's lap. He did't waste much time, though, and set to polishing his creation while Nya kept him company.

The evening air was still warm from the heat of the day, but there was a cool breeze coming in from the south, gently rocking the trees back and fourth.

"No fireflies tonight," Nya noted. "They must be on vacation."

Kai snorted. "Better than being stuck here." Nya took an uneasy breath. She watched him work for a little while longer, but soon she got up to leave.

"I'll go get you more water," she said.

Kai didn't look up. He didn't have the time. The Skulkin soldiers would be coming tomorrow, and he needed to finish this, and a few other things before then. Then he heard something break inside the house.

"Kai! Kai!" Nya shouted, racing in. "They're here!"

"What?" Kai asked quietly as he stopped his polishing. His eyes were bulging with fear. "What?!" He said again, leaping to his feet.

"They came a whole day early, they're coming down the road right now! Is the order ready?" Nya asked, shaking.

"I-I was told they'd come in another day, I don't have the last weapons assembled yet!" said Kai frantically, running his hands through his hair. His stomach felt like it was twisting itself into giant knots.

"What will they do to us?" asked Nya in a hoarse whisper.

Kai looked up at his sister and thought for a moment. He clenched his teeth angrily, then said, "Nya, get inside. Now. Wait for them to leave. I'll take the blame for this."

"No, Kai you can't! They'll take you away too!" Nya's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Maybe they will, but I won't allow them to take you." Kai grabbed his sister and held her close. "If they do take me, I want to you to escape to Aunt Yuki's house. You'll be safe there."

"Kai-"

"I can hear them coming now!" Kai said, looking up. "Get inside the house, NOW!"

Nya reluctantly ducked through the back door, but continued to watch her brother through a crack in the wooden beams.

Kai stood up straight and walked out into the street to meet the soldiers. He clenched his fists. This was the moment of truth. A dozen, disgusting skeleton soldiers came up to him, lead by a Skulken captain.

"Peasant! Do you have Lord Garmadon's order?" asked the Captain. His ugly face was contorted with scars of all kinds, not to mention a dozen or so metal piercings.

Kai threw a bundle of sharp objects to the ground. "Take it and leave," he said firmly. The Captain signalled for one of the soldiers to pick it up and inspect it.

"Three swords, a mace," said the skeleton as he looked through the bundle. "four clubs, and eight spears."

"Eight?!" The general bellowed. He reached forward and grabbed Kai by the collar. "Lord Garmadon ordered fifteen spears! What kind of insult is this!? Well, mortal? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"I-I... r-ran out of... time," Kai choked.

"Impudence!" The Captain threw him to the ground hard. "You will pay for your disrespect to your emperor!"

"Do your worst, skull face," Kai said, rising to his feet.

"Men!" he called attention to his soldiers. Then a crooked grin spread across his horrifying face. "The boy has a sister! Search the house! Find the girl!"

"NOOOOOO!" Kai shouted desperately. He grabbed one of the swords from his bundle and swung it wildly at the advancing skeletons. "Don't you even touch a hair on her head!"

"Fool!" cried the general. He swung a club at Kai which hit him dead in the stomach. He fell to the ground clutching himself. "This runt is a disgrace to the Empire! He doesn't deserve to make weapons for our mighty emperor! Take it all!"

The soldiers began to ransack the house. They took food, fire wood, anything that wasn't tied down. Nya blocked the doors as best she could and made a break out one of the windows. She ran with all the strength her legs could give, and nearly made it to the nearby forest, but she was cutoff by skeletons. She was quickly over powered, gagged, and taken with them like a prize.

"Nya!" Kai called weakly, tears streaming down his face. With all his remaining energy he rose to his feet and tried get close to his sister as the soldiers carried her away, but the Captain struck him down again.

"Now look what you've done, you idiot child," the general cackled. He bent down and grabbed Kai's face. "You just keep trying to pay off your family's debt, and maybe you'll see your pathetic sister again." He laughed, letting go of Kai, and stood up straight. "Come on, men. Back to the citadel."

Kai looked up and his eyes locked with Nya's as she was carried away. "Nya, no matter where you go I will find you!" he called desperately. "I will find you!" He clutched his stomach again as the pain swelled for a second time.

Silence fell over the blacksmith forge, and Kai was left sobbing in the dirty street. He didn't know what to do. What to think. What to say. He felt a pit of guilt and shame rise up in his stomach which seemed to drain all his strength.

Soon night fell, creating dark shadows throughout the little house. Kai usually would have been asleep at this time, but tonight he was packing. He would find his sister even if it meant killing himself to do it. In his traveling pack was his weapons, a compass, clothes, and a map, now he just needed food. He planned on going to the market and using what little money remained in the little house. His family was all he had left to live for, and he wasn't about to lose them.

A floor board creaked in the next room over. Kai froze, then grabbed his sword and ducked behind a wall. Was it more soldiers? He peaked around the corner and looked into open darkness. Nothing.

Then he thought he saw a shape moving in the dim light of a window. Without a second thought he lunged forward and attacked with all his strength, swinging with intent to kill. CLANG! Metal hit metal. Whoever the intruder was, they were armed with a sword as well. He swung again. CLANG! Every time their swords collided, sparks flew, illuminating the room for a moment, each time becoming brighter and brighter.

"Who are you?!" Kai shouted at them.

"Enough, Kai," came the voice of an old man.

In a blurry moment Kai suddenly found himself disarmed, on his knees, his arms pulled out straight behind him, and someone's knee pressing into his back.

"How do you know my name?" Kai demanded to know as he shook with fear and adrenaline. But he got no reply.

The next thing he knew, a wet cloth was being pushed into his face. He struggled and tried to scream, but within seconds he was unconscious.

Moonlight poured into Kai's eyes and he looked around the strange bedroom with terrifying mixture of confusion and anger. He had no idea where he was or how much time had passed, but he knew that he needed to find Nya.

Without thinking, he leapt to his feet and burst out of the room where he found himself in a hallway that led to a flight of stairs. He looked around for a weapon, but all of his belongings had been taken from him, further adding to the sense of violation and confusion which was growing rapidly. None of it mattered, though, as long as he could get out of here, so he bolted for the stairs and began sprinting through the hallways and chambers, knocking over various object as he went.

An alarm bell sounded in the darkness of the early morning and Kai felt panic rising in his chest.

Once he had reached a room with many large, open doors and lit candles, a girl, maybe a few years older than him, brandishing a bo staff, leapt in front of him. "Stop right there!" she cried. Kai knew he couldn't beat her without a weapon, but out of the corner of his eye he could see an open courtyard through the door on his left. He ran for it, listening for the sound of her footsteps growing closer behind him.

There was no gate that lead outside, so he threw himself through one of the paper doors of the building in front of him and continued on frantically. There was another hallway, another room, another door leading to the outside world. Then—

THUD!

He fell to the ground hard! There was someone on top of him, and he barely had time to look at their face as he began to wrestle with them. He knocked their heads together, and in the split second that his attacker was confused, he kicked at him with enough forced to knock himself loose.

He got up on all fours, but felt a hand grab his ankle and pull. Kai looked back to see the attacker lunging again. This time, though, he was ready, and before he landed, Kai rolled out of the way and punched him in the stomach before making another break for it.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kai thought he heard him say.

Something hit him in the back—hard! He fell, but only for a second. He might've had enough time to escape if someone else hadn't tackled him from the front. It was the girl from earlier. She had her bo staff pinned against his chest, and had her knee pressed into his stomach.

"Let me go!" Kai shouted. He didn't want to fight, he just needed to get away. But if he needed to, he wouldn't pull his punches.

He put all of his strength into pushing the girl away from him, and managed to get his torso upright after some strain. She pulled back right as he was about to over power her, and came at him again with a smarter move.

She raised her bow staff, got to her feet at the same moment that Kai did, and—THUD! Someone else—a very large someone—had tackled Kai, Lansing them both in another side room, filled with early morning darkness. Two very large arms wrapped around him and lifted him up. He thrashed and kicked and shouted, but Kai was thoroughly immobilised.

"I came as soon as I heard!" yelled another boy, who came running in wearing a blue bath robe over blue pajamas.

"I told you to stay upstairs, Jay," said the guy who was holding Kai.

"Yes, and I believe _I _told _you _to stay upstairs," said another person who was coming down the hallway, clutching his stomach.

"Well all of you shouldn't be here!" The girl snapped. "I had this under control."

"Sure looks like it to me," said the first boy. The girl glared at him.

"Let go of me!" Kai shouted again. He kicked some more, but whoever was holding him was strong. "I need to get back to my sister!"

"Ann, who is this guy?" asked the man holding him.

"My name is Kai Rayson, and if you don't let me go, I'll—"

"You'll what? Shout us into submission?" The boy in blue asked.

Kai felt a deep, burning anger rise in his chest, and his breathing quickened. Heat began radiating from his neck and his arms, making him sweat a little. His fists were clenched and his eyes were fixed on Jay. The heat grew bigger and bigger, a heat he had felt before, but usually kept under control. But now, he let it run wild, and it shot through his veins and down to his fingertips.

"LET. ME. GO!" Kai shouted. He yelped as he felt those big arms release him and he fell to the floor. He barely even realised what was happening.

"Ow! How did he do that?!"

"Fire!" Jay yelled.

Kai shook his head and looked down at his hands which were literally on fire. He screamed and fell back a bit, waving his hands in the air to extinguish the flames, but only spread the hungry fire.

"Don't move!" The girl shouted. Then, in a split second, Kai was drenched from head to toe in water, which was thoroughly unpleasant after the warm flames.

He looked down at his hands, which were back to normal, but shaking, then he looked up. The girl had a spear made out of some sort of shimmering material pointed straight at him. It took him a moment to realise that the spear was made of floating water. He stared blankly and could neither speak nor move—neither could anyone else.

"Get up," said the girl. "Slowly."

Kai didn't argue. He didn't say anything. He just stared at the floating spear as he rose on shaky legs. The others were staring at her, too.

"That... that was, like, crazy! With the—and then you—but then he—a-and the splashing, and... how did you do that?!" Jay exclaimed.

Ann seemed to be at a loss for words, same as the rest of them—well, except Jay.

"And how did he do that thing with his hands?!" Jay went on. "He was, like, all—SHOOM, SHOOM! Help me! Fire everywhere!"

"Yes, we get the picture," said Cole, dryly. He and Zane seemed to be a little less shocked than Jay.

Kai looked down at his hands again. How had he done that? It felt so natural, too. It reminded him of being in the forge.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

Everyone turned suddenly to see Master Wu standing in the doorway next to Keaton, who was dressed in her nightclothes and holding a candlestick. Wu was still and calm as a lake, and that calmness seemed to spill from him, easing a bit of the tension in the room.

"Sensei Wu, I—" Ann began.

"No need for apologies, Ann Jing. They would have found out sooner or later," said Wu.

"Found out what?" Jay asked.

"In fact, I believe some of them already know," the old man chuckled. He shot a knowing glance toward Cole and Zane. Then, he walked over to Jay and yanked off the bath robe he had on and moved over to Kai, who up until this moment, had not realised that he was shirtless. He gladly took the robe that Wu offered him, as the water had left him shivering. "Come now. There is much to discuss."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Elements

After a short while, Wu directed everyone to sit down in a circle on the floor, since there were no chairs available. Keaton had the candle stick, still glowing brightly in the dim morning light and Wu asked her to put it in the middle of the room so they all could see better. Then, he took a deep breath. He looked from Kai, shaken and breathing heavily from fear and adrenaline, to Cole, tense with anticipation, to Jay, eyes wide with excitement and confusion, to Zane, silent and unreadable.

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on?" Kai suddenly asked. His voice was shaky and hoarse.

"I suppose we ought to start at the beginning," said Wu, looking at Kai. "This is the YamaDera monastery outside of Ninjago City."

"Ninjago City?!" Kai blurted.

"Yes. We brought you here for your safety."

"But I need to save my sister! She's in terrible danger!"

"And how were you planning on rescuing her?" said Wu sharply. "By storming the Undead Citadel and defeating the entire Skulkin army singlehandedly?"

Kai was silent.

"We will help you save your sister, but we have more pressing matters to attend to, first," Wu continued.

"So we're saving a girl?" Jay asked, his eyebrows rising. "Is she hot?"

"Jay," Cole groaned, elbowing him.

"I-I just wanna know what we're getting ourselves into," said Jay. No one in the room seemed to be very convinced, least of all Kai who was now glaring at him. After a moment Jay turned to look at Kai and asked, "Does she like blue?"

"Back off!" Kai growled.

Just then, Wu let out a very intentional cough to regain their attention. "The reason I have brought you all here—the 'mission' I had mentioned—is of the upmost secrecy. You may not breathe a word of what you hear and see outside of this company, understood?" He waiting for all of them to nod. "As you know, I am Master Wu, tactical advisor to the Imperial Army, and ex-captain of his majesty's personal guard, and I need your help.

"Garmadon's forces have not moved from their stronghold at the Jade river, and our spies have informed us as to the reason: Garmadon is looking for special weapons. Weapons that would assure his victory." Everyone in the room swallowed hard. "They are called the Four Golden Weapons of Spinjitsu. They were created very long ago by a very powerful person, and each one had the ability to control an element. The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Daggers of Ice, and the Sword of Fire. It is said that their power is so great, that if a man should hold even one, it would surely destroy him. Therefore, I cannot wield them. However, there are those who, in theory, would be able to control this power; they are those already born with the elements inside of them."

"You mean, elemental powers!?" Jay cried.

"Not so loud," Wu said with a frown. "Very few know of the existence of the elementals, and we must strive to keep it that way." Jay looked as though he was going to ask another question, but Cole beat him to it.

"You mean, all of us... we were all born with an elemental power?" he asked.

"Yes," said Wu. "Zane, Master of Ice, Kai, Master of Fire, Jay, Master of Lightning, and Cole, Master of Earth." Every eye in the room widened.

"Lightning?!" Jay squealed, attempting to hold back his enthusiasm. "But, wait, he just used his power, and she has, like, water powers, so how come we haven't used our powers?" He looked at Cole and Zane as he said it, but the looks on their faces told him everything he needed to know. "Wait, you guys already knew about your powers?"

Cole looked down at his hands. "Yeah," he replied. "For a while now. But all that time... I can't believe I wasn't the only one." He looked around the room at everyone with an expression of bewilderment mixed with curiosity.

"It comes from within you," Wu explained. "It is a part of you. And as for your question, Jay, I do not have the answer. In truth, I know very little about the way your individual powers behave, and it will be mostly up to you to figure out how to control them, although I will offer what little knowledge I do have." Wu closed his eyes and reached out one of his old, weathered hands. Suddenly, a light began to shine in his palm—small at first, but it quickly grew to the size of a baseball. Other smaller balls of light swarmed around the first like electrons and atoms, until with a final pulse, the light faded and a porcelain tea cup was all that remained.

Wu's hand began to shake terribly, and he pulled it back toward him very suddenly, but he kept the cup out where they could see.

"You... you're like us?" Jay asked.

"In a way," the master said, breathing a cough or two. "However, my ability, as you can see, is not elemental. It is an ancient power, passed on to me from my father. The power of creation."

He might as well have said "I am Emperor Meiji." Every single child in Ninjago knew of the stories of The First Spinjitsu Master, wielder of the powers of creation and destruction, creator of Ninjago, whether they believed them or not. So the only thing Wu could have meant to say is that he was the son of The First Spinjitsu Master.

Everyone's jaw dropped, at least a little. There was stunned silence for several minutes before Jay found his voice again.

"What the hay to you need us for, then?" he asked. "Also, do we need to, like, bow or something?"

Wu chuckled. "There's no need. I am still just a man. In fact, more man than my father was. My mother was... mortal, after all." He paused, lost in an old memory. "But I am not my father. My powers are minuscule compared to his, especially in my old age, and even _he _required the aid of the Golden Weapons to create Ninjago."

Again, there was silence. The only people unfazed by this information were Ann and Keaton. They had never known the whole story, but they were very much aware of his lineage. It was something that always made Ann go rigid in his presence.

All at once—though none of them realised what the others were feeling—they all felt that strange tingling in the backs of their heads again. Its humming seemed to calm their nerves a decent bit, to the point where they could talk again.

"So, you're basically a demigod?" Cole asked.

Wu sighed. "I suppose that is one term for it."

"You must be at least a thousand years old!" Jay cried.

"Actually, it should make him closer to seven hundred years old," Zane said simply.

"Very good, Zane," said Wu. Again, they stared in wonder. "And the last thing you should know... the reason why Garmadon is such a threat... the reason why an old man like me would pull himself out of retirement to fight... is to stop my brother from destroying everything I hold dear." He paused to let them all take in this new information. "As I inherited part of my father's power, so did he. Garmadon is my other half... the wielder of destruction."

"I think my brain is going explode," Kai mumbled.

"Ditto," said Jay. "Okay, okay, let me get this straight: you and _Lord Garmadon _are the children of the _First Spinjitsu Master _and you're both trying to get to the Golden Weapons before the other guy does?"

"Correct."

"And you need us to help you, because we can actually use the weapons, even though they're stupid powerful?" Jay went on.

"Also correct."

"Well, I just have one thing to say... sign me up! Let's do this!" Jay shouted. "When do I get to throw lightning?"

"Easy, now," Wu warned. "Before accepting, you must understand the great responsibility that has been bestowed upon you. This will be no easy feat. In fact, it will be the most dangerous thing any of you have ever faced in your entire lives."

"If it liberates my home from the constant threat of soldiers, I will join you." Everyone turned to Zane with surprise. He seemed to be the most suspicious of the group, and yet he was the first to commit himself to a life-threatening cause.

"I'm still in, no matter what, Master Wu!" Jay continued. "This is the coolest thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life!"

Cole looked down at his hands for a moment. "This is the only worthwhile thing I'll probably ever do with my life," he said solemnly. "I'm in."

All eyes turned to Kai.

He fiddled with the sash on his robe for a moment. "Look, all I care about is saving my sister. So if you guys are gonna actually help me do that, I guess it wouldn't kill me to help you out," he said.

"Uh, it might," Jay piped up. "You did hear the part about it being life-threatening, didn't you?" Cole elbowed him playfully.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "I guess I'm in, too."

Wu nodded stoically and stroked his beard. "Very well. You've all made up your minds. Now, on to—"

"Wait!" Jay interrupted. "I just remembered I have another question."

"Yes?" Wu sighed.

"How are we going to find the weapons before Garmadon does?"

"Well, that was precisely what we needed to discuss next. You see, after realising that the weapons were far too powerful for the people of Ninjago, my father hid them away in the farthest reaches of the land and he left but one map to find them."

"So, we find the map, we find the weapons?" Cole guessed.

"Actually, we already have the map," said Wu, and he turned toward Kai.

"What?" he asked suddenly.

"My father did not have many close friends. One of the only people he ever trusted was your grandfather," Wu explained.

"My..." Kai breathed. "He knew my grandfather?"

"For a time, yes. I don't suppose you ever met him?" asked Wu.

Kai turned away slightly. "No."

Wu frowned. "Well, let's hope this works, then." He rose from his mat and took a step closer to Kai.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Wu offered him his hand. When Kai took it, he lifted him up to his feet.

"The map we need is no ordinary map. To ensure that it never fell into the wrong hands, my father implanted the directions into your grandfather's mind." Wu explained. Kai's eyes widened. "If I may?"

Wu raised his hand and laid his palm on Kai's forehead. Suddenly, it felt like he was being pulled backward, or falling down, into a deep, dark abyss. There were flashes of images, most of them bright yellow and orange—flying sparks, campfires, dazzling sunsets, even a dress his mother had worn once. Then they stopped with such force, Kai was surprised that he hadn't fallen over, and there it was, the image of the map, floating in the air. The memory became so clear in his mind now. He had always known the locations of those weapons, and yet...

Kai opened his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath of air as Wu lowered his hand and they were both launched back into reality.

"How did you do that?" Kai asked, shaking.

"I have more than one trick up my sleeve," said Wu. "My father was truly brilliant, though. To hide a map within the subconscious of a mind... and then have that same map pass from generation to generation... truly brilliant."

Kai sat back down and put his face in his hands.

"Hey, are you okay?" Cole leaned over to ask.

"I'm done. I'm just done. I can't take any more weirdness for today." Kai muttered, sounding almost on the verge of a breakdown. "I'm cold, I don't remember how I got here, and I smell like wet dog."

"Make that wet dog with a side of burned wood," Jay mentioned.

Wu came over to Kai and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You should go get some rest. In fact, we should all get some rest. The sun is rising, and we head for the Caves of Despair tomorrow."

Kai finally let the fatigue he'd been holding back take over. He had been working in the blacksmith shop almost none stop for days, then Nya was taken away, and now all this. Cole had to help him to his feet and all the boys walked him to his room, which was just across from Jay's. They helped him out of the robe, which Jay took back immediately, and then laid him down on the sleeping mat. The moment his head hit the pillow, Kai fell into a very deep, restful sleep.

Cole made sure to close the door as quietly as he could and then turned to the others who were still standing in the hall.

"One heck of a morning, huh?" he said quietly. Jay and Zane nodded. "And I guess we're all 'elementals'?"

"Yeah, but apparently you guys have already used your powers?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, you haven't?" said Cole, his brow furrowed with confusion.

"Do I look like 'the-living-lightning-rod'?" Jay countered.

"No, you look more like a white-faced monkey," said Zane, without a hint of sarcasm.

Jay turned and gave him a bizarre look. "You know what, I don't have the energy for this right now," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah, same," Cole said, yawning. "See you guys in a few hours."

"See ya."

"MmmHmm."

They all retreated to their rooms and tried to regain the sleep they had lost, but none of them slept more soundly than Kai.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Preparations

"Fool!"

"Take the girl!"

"Nya! Noooooooo!"

Kai woke with a jolt. Not only was his nightmare frightening, but the bright sunlight streaming in from the open window made him flinch. He sat up and looked around. Was he still at that weird monastery? He had secretly hoped that it had only been a dream. That he would wake up in his bed and find his sister making breakfast in the kitchen. But there was no smell of cooked rice, or of the smoky forge, or heated metal. There was, however, a smell of green tea wafting through the air. Kai looked around and spotted a table in the corner of the room with a steaming tea pot on top of it accompanied by two small tea cups. He pulled on a red robe which was hanging in the closet and sat down.

Kai wanted to relax, but his sister was constantly on his mind. Was she hurt? Was she scared? Was she in a dungeon somewhere, or perhaps tied up in rough chains? He wondered if maybe she'd called out for him to come and rescue her.

He sipped his tea and thought about his new allies—the Sensei and his students. Would they really help him? After all, weren't they the ones who kidnapped him? Then there was the whole 'powers' thing which Kai might never have believed if he hadn't seen his own hands catch fire; and yet, they hadn't burned. Not even the tiniest bit. He wondered if he could make them do that again.

A sudden sound from out in the hall made him jump and snapped him out of his thoughts, but it was only Jay stubbing his toe on something. Kai turned back to the table and sipped again from his tea.

Master Wu had told him that to rescue his sister, first they had to find the golden weapons.

"Four golden weapons..." he said quietly. "Four separate locations... how long will it be until Nya is safe?" He clenched his jaw, but held back his full fury. What Master Wu had told him that morning repeated in his mind, "_and how were you planning on rescuing her? By storming the Undead Citadel and defeating the entire skeleton army singlehandedly?"_ As much as he hated to admit it, Kai needed Wu's help. And he really, _really, _didn't want to admit it.

A bell sounded after a while and a servant came to lead Kai to the dining room for breakfast where he half-heartedly enjoyed a plate of rice, salmon, and tofu. After living off of rations in Garmadon's territory for so long, the flavourful food revitalised a part of him and warmed his stomach, but his mind was still with Nya—captured, who knows where, with who knows what to eat.

There was no conversation made at the dining tables, save for a few whispers between friends, and then one by one, everyone dispersed among the monastery.

"Excuse me, young man, but are you Mister Kai Rayson?"

Kai looked up and saw an older gentleman with a bushy white moustache and spectacles peering down at him with a wide grin on his face. Kai nodded in answer to his question.

"Ah, very good. I am Doctor Lee," he explained as Kai got up to greet him properly. "Master Wu called for me to look you over. I understand you've had a very rough last few months." Kai didn't say anything. "If you'll just follow me, then."

Doctor Lee led him to a room on the other side of the property and asked him to sit down in one of his cushioned chairs where he inspected him with every single one of the odd tools hanging up on the walls and sitting on the counters.

After a while he determined that Kai was in good health, but upon checking his arms and legs and muscles, he began to click his tongue disapprovingly. Kai flinched as the doctor felt his arms and lifted them, then lowered them, and then did the same to inspect his legs.

"Tell me, does it hurt when I do this?" Doctor Lee asked as he lifted Kai's leg. When Kai flinched again, he lowered it. "I see..." he mumbled. "Well, you certainly haven't been doing yourself any favours. You've strained your muscles to the breaking point. Why, I'm surprised you had the strength to come to breakfast this morning."

Kai looked down at his arms and let the doctor's words sink in. He hadn't really been thinking about his muscles—he hadn't for a while now—the forge was always so important that perhaps he just pushed passed the pain. But now, as he replayed all the wrestling, and physical activity of the last few days alone, the full weight of those aches and pains began to settle in on him, and he let out a slight groan.

"You'll need to take it very slowly for the next week. Two weeks would be better, actually. No more fighting, wrestling, blacksmithing, or any other sort of strenuous activity, understood?" Doctor Lee waited for Kai to nod before he continued on about vitamins for him to take, and other medical jargon. Then he sent him off to his room to rest.

Now Kai was back in his bed, silently hating himself for not doing more. Nya needed him, and what was he doing? Lounging in bed! He didn't nap, or feel very relaxed for several hours, until someone came to his door—another servant—bringing him his lunch. Apparently Doctor Lee had already told Wu of Kai's condition and Wu had already called for special treatment for him.

Kai sat up and instantly regretted it. The pain seemed to be swelling now, to the point where no one could avoid letting out a gasp from the shock. Kai ate very little this time, and what he did eat, he ate slowly. There was not much else to distract himself with while he was bedridden, so he tried to get some more sleep, but that didn't go so well.

At around six in the evening, after dinner had been brought and mostly eaten, there was a visitor at Kai's door. Master Wu walked in slowly and asked how Kai was doing.

"Well, I'm stuck here instead of saving my sister, so, yeah, I'm peachy," said Kai sarcastically.

"I understand your plight. It's not easy standing by, knowing that someone else suffers while you prosper, but trust me, young Kai. Nya will be safe soon," Wu reassured him. "Now, all the preparations for our journey tomorrow have been made. I'll expect you bright and early tomorrow morning in the courtyard."

"Shouldn't I be resting?" Kai asked.

"Under any other circumstance, yes. However time is of the essence, and your participation is crucial," Wu explained. "We will have special arrangements, of course, to accommodate your need for rest. Now, there is one more thing which I must discuss with you. Inside these walls you are Kai Rayson, but outside, you are no one. You must let your identity slip into the shadows, for if anyone were to discover who you are, there could be costly consequences. People with elemental powers such as yourself have been shelved with Cinderella, and Robin Hood, and Amaterasu as time has worn on, and we must keep it that way."

Kai looked up at the old man and frowned in confusion. "What are you asking me to do? Become a secret spy?"

"In a way. But the path of a ninja, I would say, is far more noble," Wu continued. "Stealth and combat training will be paramount to all that we wish to accomplish, and so the ninja is most obvious mantle to take up. Will this be a problem?" he asked when he noticed an apprehensive look on Kai's face.

"No," said Kai. In truth, he was just a little unsure about having to learn such a disciplined art as that of combat. Blacksmithing had been his only pastime for so long... he was slightly afraid that he would be horrible at anything else.

"Very good, then. I will send someone to fetch you in the morning. Rest well," said Wu as he turned to leave. "And Kai... these next few weeks will be challenging, so keep in mind that patients is the only way to victory." Then he was left alone once more.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Caves of Despair

Everyone woke early the next morning, and the whole monastery was bustling with life and movement as the grounds keepers and servants rushed to and fro preparing the master and his students for the road ahead.

Cole rose with the sun and ate a hastened breakfast before changing into his ninja garb which had been delivered to his room that morning. He pulled the dark hood over his head, grabbed a mirror from his closet, and inspected himself thoroughly. On any other occasion he may have been going to a Day of the Departed party, a time to goof off and see friends, but a huge reality set in on him when he looked at himself, dark eyes peering from black fabric. This was real; this was serious. He was going out into the world on a dangerous mission and he needed to hide his identity for fear of someone discovering that he had an elemental power. His stomach squirmed anxiously.

'Just calm down,' he told himself. 'Now is not the time to get cold feet. This is the biggest thing you'll ever do in your entire life. You have to focus.' He felt his skin grow warm under the mask, so he pulled it off and held it in his hand as he made his way to the courtyard on the ground floor.

When he arrived he saw Wu, Ann and Keaton standing next to eight saddled and bridled squat horses. Although, the eighth horse was not saddled, but burdened with a large bundle of supplies.

Ann was unusually tall, with long, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail by a band of engraved gold. Her calculating eyes were a deep blue, and she was wearing ninja garb like he was, although hers was a deep teal colour. Keaton was much shorter than her sister, and much scrawnier, with dark brown hair pulled back into two half-buns, and pale green eyes. She wore exactly the same as Ann, save for the colour which was grey, with a purple sash at her waste.

"I guess I'm the first one here," Cole said stiffly as he approached. He flashed a smile at Ann but she merely nodded. He felt his heart sink a little, so he turned to Keaton. "Hey. I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Cole. What's your name?"

Keaton seemed a little apprehensive and glanced at her older sister before saying, "My name's Keaton. Nice to meet you." Out of the corner of her eye, Keaton watched as Ann walked to the other side of the horses to fiddle with something. Then a smile grew on her face. "It's not just nice to meet you, it's awesome!" she cried. "We haven't had anyone new around here for forever! What's your element again?"

Cole laughed a little and his smile brightened. "My element is earth. What about you? Are you water like Ann Jing?"

"You can just call her Ann, and no. I'm air," Keaton explained. "Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"No, never," Cole chuckled.

"I can show you!" Keaton said gleefully. "See, first thing you gotta do is mount her."

"Which one's mine?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter so long as you don't take Thunder over there. He's got a special comfy saddle for Kai. But Seaspray is really nice and calm, so you might like her," said Keaton.

Cole looked at the white mare just a few feet away from him and eyed her suspiciously. He had heard about how horses can kick and bite, so he approached with caution.

"Okay, now watch me," Keaton continued. "You put your foot here, in the stirrup, and grab the saddle like this, then you push down on the stirrup, lift yourself up and swing your leg over at the same time, and boom! Nothing to it!"

Cole watched nervously as Keaton swung onto her brown horse's back and wondered just how old she must have been, and how easy she made it look. He placed his foot in the stirrup, but then felt like if he put any weight on it, he might cause the saddle to slip, or cause the horse to fall over from being lopsided.

"She can take it, don't worry. Seaspray knows how to stay on her feet—er, hooves. Just trust her," Keaton encouraged.

Cole looked from Keaton to Seaspray and then back to Keaton. "Are you sure?" She laughed and nodded.

He took a deep breath then grabbed the saddle the way Keaton had showed him and pulled himself up. He just forgot to swing his leg at the same time and ended up with his stomach on the saddle instead, while his leg flailed near the horse's behind.

"You almost got it!" said Keaton, laughing now. "Just straiten up a bit."

It took a few seconds of squirming and pulling himself upright, but finally Cole was sitting in the saddle, both feet placed firmly in the stirrups, hands clutching the reins apprehensively.

"Great!" Keaton cried.

"What's great?"

Cole turned around to see Zane walking towards the group in his black ninja garb.

"Cole's riding his first horse!" Keaton explained.

"Don't get too attached to that saddle, though," said Ann as she reappeared, Wu by her side. "You'll all be doing some long distance running and walking today to build up stamina."

"I don't think I could ever get attached to this saddle," Cole said as he squirmed in the uncomfortable seat.

Soon, Jay came bounding into the courtyard, followed by Kai, who had an escort, but was walking without his aid. He did accept a little help when he mounted Thunder, but he quickly shooed everyone away. Cole really wanted to talk to him, to make sure everything was okay after they had such an alarming first meeting, but the timing always felt awkward. Besides, Kai didn't really seem like he was in a talking-sort-of-mood.

After Jay was firmly on the golden horse, Butterscotch, and Zane easily mounted Carrots, a very plump, brown horse, Wu came to the front of the group to address them all.

"Outside of these walls we do not exist. Everywhere we go, we are in enemy territory. Put on your masks now," Wu ordered. They all obeyed. "Keep in mind that now is your last chance to turn back. If you choose to follow me out of those gates, I am your Sensei, and you are my students. You will do as I say, under any and all circumstances, and heed the guidance of my pupil, Ann. Understood?" All the boys nodded with various degrees of confidence. "Then so be it."

They were off. The gates were opened and Wu lead the way, followed by the supplies horse, Zane, Kai, Keaton, Jay, Cole, and Ann. Their horse train slowly began to twist through the dirt paths of the mountains, heading away from Ninjago City. Cole could just see the sun shining brilliantly through the dense overgrowth of the forest and for a moment he wondered if his father knew that he wasn't at school anymore.

Then he turned his attention back to the people in front of him and he immediately spotted Kai up ahead. This was going to be rough, but he couldn't shrug off this conversation forever. He took a breath and then urged Seaspray forward until he and Kai were side by side.

"Hey. I'm real sorry about the other night—how we met and all. Let's start over. I'm Cole."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Kai replied dryly. He didn't seem very eager to make friends as he scowled at the road ahead. After a few moments, though, he breathed a small sigh and relented. "I'm Kai."

"Nice to meet you," Cole said, grinning under his mask. "Where are you from?"

"Harper Vale, in the south... You?"

"Brookeside, north coast."

"So you're rich?" Kai asked.

Cole stopped short. "Why would you say that?" he asked.

"Because only rich people live in Brookeside, or that's what I hear at least," Kai explained.

"Well, I guess..." Cole really didn't want to talk about his family, or his home town. A subject change was majorly in order. "And what about Harper Vale?"

"What about it?" Kai asked.

"What's it like there?"

Kai looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's slightly warmer down there; closer to Stix, and the swamps, you know? There are fireflies in the summer, and swans and geese in the winter. We don't get many visitors, but sometimes there'll be a boat filled with tourists coming down the river." His face hardened then, and he was silent for a while longer.

Cole cleared his throat. "So, how much do you know about the 'elemental' stuff?"

Kai looked up. "I dunno. Probably as much as you do, or less."

Cole didn't know what kind of answer he was expecting. Something about this elemental business intrigued him, probably because it felt like he had finally found others like him and he wanted to fully understand why he was so different. But Jay had never even used his powers before, and Zane only knew that he could use his powers if he was careful not to let them control him. Aside from that, neither of them knew anything about where the powers came from. It probably wasn't that important, and maybe Cole was just excited, but the question never fully went away from him.

"All right, you three," Ann called from the back of the group. "Play time's over. What I want you to do is get off of those horses and try to keep up on foot."

"Three? What about Kai?" Jay asked.

"He has to rest. Doctor's orders," Ann explained. "Now get to work."

Their party came to a stop while Jay, Zane, and Cole dismounted, then they started again, the horses instinctively following Wu up ahead. The animals were moving at a brisk pace, and the boys had to jog most of the time to stay with them.

Jay was the only one of the three who had any real trouble keeping up, as he had never done much excessive exercise in his life, unlike Cole and Zane.

The day was long, tiring, and sweaty. They stopped for lunch at noon and let the boys ride their horses for another hour, then it was back to running and walking. They passed out of the mountains late that evening and set up a camp in a dense forest near the mountains' base. A fire was lit and dinner prepared; rice and shredded, dried pork. Wu ate very little, drank some tea, then retired for the night, settling down on a cushioned, unroll-able mat just beyond the firelight.

"So, does anyone have any idea how long it will be before we get to the Caves of Despair?" Jay asked after he was sure Wu was asleep.

"It should only be another day and a half before we get there," Ann said quietly and calmly.

"Are we sure that this is the correct first destination?" Zane asked after a while. "Would not the Nunchucks of Lightning prove more powerful?"

"I suppose so, but our spies have informed us that Garmadon's forces are attempting to move in on this location, meaning that he must also know the whereabouts of the Scythe," said Ann.

"How does he know? I thought he didn't get the map?" asked Jay.

"We don't know. But that's hardly of any concern at the moment. Right now we need to focus on getting the Scythe before he does," Ann said.

"So, is the weapon just hidden in a secret chamber somewhere in the caves?" Cole asked, his heart thrumming with nervous energy.

"Yeah! And the legends say that a noble guardian was placed to protect it," Keaton piped up.

"What kind of guardian?" Jay asked with wide eyes.

"Well, it—" but Keaton was cut short.

"Doesn't really exist," said Ann, giving her sister an icy stare. "Those legends were made centuries ago. Besides, no man or beast could have survived for that long."

"Way to suck the joy out of it," Jay complained.

"You'd rather fight this 'guardian'?" Ann challenged.

"I dunno... maybe..." said Jay. They fell silent again.

Ann sighed. "I'm going to sleep, and I suggest that you do the same. Come on, Keaton," she said as she rose from her mat; Keaton followed her, glancing sorrowfully at the boys before she left.

"So..." Jay began. "Scythe of Earth... I guess that means you're up first," he motioned to Cole.

"Yeah... I guess," Cole said. His heart thrummed again. He looked down at the ground and fiddled with his hands nervously. What was the cave going to be like? What would the weapon be like? How would it feel to hold it? He was excited and terrified to find out.

There were a few more attempts at conversation after this, but in the end the boys retired for the night and in the morning they packed up and continued heading east. They all felt a bit more at ease with one another as they went, but the seriousness of the situation kept everyone firmly grounded.

Now heading south, the troop continued for another day and a half before they finally reached the caves at about two hours past noon. They drew near from a forest at the north head of the cave entrance but stopped before it was in view. Wu sent Keaton to scout ahead and she returned shortly with unfortunate news.

"They're already here," she said with wide eyes. "There's a squadron guarding the entrance."

Wu dismounted his steed. "Then Garmadon has indeed found the locations of the weapons," he said gravely. "We must hurry and retrieve the Scythe of Quakes. No doubt my brother has already sent platoons to secure the other three; we must beat them to it if we stand any hope of obtaining all four of them." Wu began to lead them forward on foot.

"Why not just send Imperial troops to secure the weapons for us?" Cole asked Ann in a whisper.

"Our forces are spread too thin defending the boarder and the Emperor," Ann explained. "Besides, dividing our army up like that would certainly get the Skulkins' attention, and the longer we can keep our intentions a secret, the better."

The forest soon ended and at the tree line there was a sharp drop off dipping down into a dusty basin about sixty yards wide. There were several small holes in the walls of the crater and one large opening to the main cave system sticking out of a large rock formation in the far left corner. There were at least a hundred soldiers milling about in the empty space below, all heavily armed. Kai even recognised a few of the swords they brandished.

"We can't enter here," said Ann as they all crouched behind a sunken boulder. "There's no way around them."

"Maybe there's another entrance somewhere?" Zane suggested.

"It's possible," said Wu, tugging at his beard. "But there is to telling how long it will be before we find one, or if there are already soldiers guarding it." He looked up at Cole. "I think I know of a way, but I require your help, Cole." Wu lead them back into the forest, far from any prying eyes, and said, "I realise that your powers are still in their infancy, but do you think that you could open up a passage into the caves below?"

Cole wasn't sure about that. Back home, the largest rock he had ever moved was the size of his torso. "I will try, Sensei," he replied. He took a deep breath and knelt down so that his hand could touch the ground. He wanted to see if there were any tunnels beneath them and he imagined reaching out with his mind, connecting to the earth, but he couldn't see anything but the back of his own closed eyelids. He was embarrassed that he didn't know how to use his powers better, and felt somewhat ashamed when he rose up and told everyone that he couldn't see anything below. Wu was saddened by this fact.

"Ann," the old master said. "I suppose this part is up to you." Ann stepped forward confidently and created a large orb of floating water in front of her. She then sent it shooting down into the ground and placed her hand just a few inches away from the tips of the grass. She was using the water in the soil to map out exactly what was below them.

"There's a decent sized tunnel over there," she said as she pointed past Sensei Wu and they all moved toward the spot Ann had indicated to. Now Cole had to use his powers. He was the only one who could get them down there. "Just relax," Ann told him as he stepped forward. "Don't think about us, just think about your element. Try to get in touch with it."

Cole smiled weakly and closed his eyes. He reached out his hands, palm-side facing down, and thought about moving pebbles like he had back home. Only this time, there were a lot more pebbles to move. Some loose dirt began rise toward him, and he could feel his connection growing. He imagined grabbing the earth with his mind, pulling it toward the surface. Then he clenched his fists and pulled his arms inward. A large chunk of earth, bigger and taller than Cole himself, jutted out of the ground dripping crumbs of dirt beneath it. He moved his arms forward and pushed the earth away from the opening he had just created. When he let go of it, and it plopped onto the ground, he sucked in a breath of air; he hadn't realised that he had been holding his breath.

"Good work, Cole," Sensei Wu said proudly.

"Thank you, Sensei," Cole replied. His hands felt a little shaky, perhaps from the excitement or the energy it took to do that, but he was glad that it was over all the same. It felt extremely odd to use his powers in front of people for a change.

"Now, before we head in, I must tell you, Cole," Wu began. "Your mission is to retrieve the weapon, but under no circumstances are you allowed to use it. I have no idea what could happen to you, or to everyone around you, if you attempted to use the weapon's power. Understood?" Cole nodded.

Wu wasted no more time and lead them down into the hole, landing in a dark, wet tunnel. There were no noises nearby, leaving an eerie feeling riding up Cole's spine.

Wu looked into the darkness beyond them and lifted his hand. As he twirled his fingers, a golden light began to glow around them, lighting up the dark tunnel. He led them quickly through the cave system, and every so often Cole was sure he felt a sharp rumbling somewhere far off. Perhaps it was the Skulkens trying to drill their way to the weapon?

Suddenly, a large tremor knocked them back a bit. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, all shook with great intensity, spraying them with loose dirt.

"The Skulkens are nearby," said Wu. "We must hurry, before their rash digging brings the caves down on top of us."

They were heading down another hall, and there was a slight turn up ahead, which might have led to another larger tunnel.

"We are very close. The weapon should be just ahead," Wu explained.

Cole moved to the front of the group, next to Wu and Jay, to see if the weapon was in the next cave, when suddenly another tremor hit, much larger than the last. Wu fell backward, but Zane caught him just in time. However, that was the least of their worries. As Cole soon began to realise, the cave ceiling was giving way. Huge chunks were beginning to fall now, and in a matter of moments they would all be buried.

"Cole, look out!"


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

In the Dark

Suddenly Cole was moving rapidly. The world became a blur of blacks and golds, and he hit the stone floor hard and rolled a short ways before everything went pitch black. He coughed on the dust that was stifling the air and tried not to imagine how badly his body must've been bruised as he removed his mask.

"What just happened?" Cole coughed. "Is anyone out there?" He tried to look for any of his friends, but there was no light whatsoever in the cave. Not even after his eyes had adjusted.

"I'm here... barely," said Jay, somewhere behind Cole.

"Are you two all right?" That was Ann's voice, very hoarse and weak. She was somewhere ahead of Cole.

"I'm fine, I guess," Cole said.

"I'll live," Jay answered.

Cole replayed the last few seconds over and over in his head trying to figure out what on earth had just happened.

"That was you, wasn't it, Ann? You pushed us out of the way of the cave-in?" Cole guessed.

"The only person... who can retrieve the Scythe is you. You had to make it to the weapon chamber," Ann explained.

"It was much more than that. You saved my life. Thank you."

"...Your welcome."

"Okay, but what about everyone else?" Jay asked.

"They should be fine as long as Sensei Wu is with them," said Ann. "But we should try to open up the tunnel."

"How? We can't even see where it is," Cole pointed out.

"Both of you come over here," said Ann. Cole did his best to follow the sound of her voice and stumbled over to where she was sitting. He reached out his hand and eventually found her face. "Thanks for that," she said.

"Sorry. Well, at least I know where you are now," said Cole.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped.

"Woah, woah, it's only me, dude," said Jay. Cole could hear him sit down next to him. "Now what?"

"We need light," Ann started. "Jay, you're the only one of us three who can generate that."

"But I've never used my powers before!" Jay cried.

"It's a bit of a long shot, I know, but right now it's our only option. Now, try to calm down. Deep breathes. Okay, good. Now picture a time when you were close to your element. Perhaps when you were in a lightning storm, or when you were shocked by static electricity. Try to feel an energy surge through you."

"I'm trying!" Jay whined. "Nothing's happening."

"Okay, well, movement often helps me and Keaton control our powers. Try movement your arms like this... up and down."

"I feel... ridiculous."

"Well then, just—ugh! Okay, okay... um... lightning is energy. One form of energy is friction, right? Try rubbing your hands together."

While this was going on, Cole was looking around him, trying to see into the darkness. Wu had said that the weapon should have been in this tunnel, but there was nothing as far as he could tell. It didn't feel like a tunnel, though. Whenever Ann or Jay spoke he could hear their echoes bouncing off the walls ten times louder than it had sounded earlier. It was safe to say that they were in a very large cave, now.

He turned back to where he imagined Ann and Jay were sitting, but as his eyes swept over the room, he thought he saw something. He looked again to make sure, and presently he found a small dot of yellow light shining far off in the distance.

"Hey, guys, do you see that?" Cole asked.

"See what?" Ann sounded anxious.

"Over there," Cole gestured, but then realised that neither of them could see his hand. So he grabbed Ann's arm and pointed it toward the small dot of light, then did the same for Jay.

"What is that?" Jay muttered.

"Come on, let's go see," Ann said confidently. "But let's not get separated. We'll have to hold hands."

Cole felt his cheeks grow warm as he reached for Ann's hand, but did his best to shrug it off. He looked up again at the glowing light and stepped forward over the rocks, big and small. They nearly fell over several times, but Ann kept them steady.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jay asked after a while.

"The Scythe of Quakes," Ann breathed.

Cole looked up again and now that the light was closer, it began to resemble the shape of a war scythe.

He squinted at it, and it's funny shape, and thought that he could hear something coming from it. A sound, possibly a voice, speaking in a low, rumbly tone. He couldn't understand what it was saying, except for a few words here and there which he mildly understood the meaning of.

"Mighty deeds...?" he murmured, trying to understand what he was hearing.

"What?" said Ann.

"Can't you hear that?" Cole asked.

"Hear what?" Jay said, confused.

"That voice. I think it's coming from the Scythe."

"Cole, there are no voices except for yours, Jay's, and mine," said Ann firmly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Cole replied.

They inched closer until they were about three yards away.

"Go on, Cole," said Ann.

"Wait, what?" Cole stammered. "Go and get it? Now?"

"Yes," Ann replied. "That scythe could be our only way out of here. Its glow is the only light source in this entire cave."

"I don't know, I have a bad feeling... like someone else is in here," said Cole. The voice was growing louder, and he could feel something moving out in the shadows. "We're not alone."

A new light began to shine before them, past the light of the weapon. It was a deep orange colour, in the shape of two slitted eyes.

"D-didn't you say that the weapons were guarded?" Jay asked sounding mildly terrified.

"That's impossible," said Ann, her voice filled with shock.

The orange glow began to spread until they could just see the outline of an enormous creature. It stood at least twenty feet high and had enormous teeth, claws, and a pair of shrivelled wings. It moved closer to them, each mighty step causing the ground to shake, and it let out a nasty growl.

"Is that...?" Jay stammered.

"A dragon!" Cole cried. Fear shot through him, creating a deep pit in his stomach, and turning his blood cold. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he could barely breathe. Standing right in front of him were two enormous eyes sitting above a mouth of teeth large enough to swallow all three of them at once. Death never seemed closer in all of Cole's life.

"Run!" Ann shrieked, and she pulled hard on Cole's hand, jerking him and Jay away from the dragon.

He was breathing hard now, constantly looking back to see how close the beast was, and tripping over rocks as a consequence.

"Stay here!" Ann ordered and she flung both of them to the ground before turned back around. The dragon was only a few yards away, and she charged at it, summoning huge waves of water that took the shape of massive blades. But when her first strike hit, it glanced off the monster's scaly skin.

It let out a skull-rattling roar, amplified by the cave walls, and it looked as though it was about to breathe fire. Suddenly, a dark, course substance began emanating from its mouth and when it hit the ground, Cole realised that it was dirt.

"Come on," Cole said to Jay as he grabbed his arm and led him farther away, behind a boulder. "A dragon! Why did it have to be a dragon!" he muttered.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of dragons?" Jay asked beside him.

"Of course not!" Cole shot back indignantly, but just then the dragon let out another gravely roar that made the hairs on the back of Cole's neck stand on end. He closed his eyes and prayed that Ann would prevail, but her constant shrieks and groans only worsened his fears.

"I can't beat this thing!" he heard her yell. She was coming closer to them now. "My powers don't seem to touch him at all! Cole! You have to fight it!"

"What?! Are you insane?" Cole exclaimed. "I haven't had any training!"

"This thing is an earth dragon! The only one who stands a chance at taking it down is y-Agh!" Ann explained. It sounded like the dragon had gotten her.

Cole began to panic. What should he do? What should he do? What _could_ he do? Well, for one thing, he could save Ann. Had to try, at least. He closed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and let out a loud scream as he leaped from the behind the boulder and ran toward the glowing beast. He spotted Ann on the ground, covered in a massive pile of rocks and his mind jumped to dark conclusions.

The first thing he thought to do was distract the dragon. He reached down and summoned a massive stone, larger even than the one he had lifted earlier, and sent it flying toward the creature's head. It landed with an ear-splitting CRACK! and sent its head reeling backward.

With the dragon indisposed, Cole turned back to Ann. He lifted the rocks off of her and picked up her body, carrying her in his arms. She wasn't unconscious, but she was weak. He needed to get her to Jay, so he could make sure she was okay while he—

"Behind you!" Ann shouted, eyes growing wide. She rolled out of his arms and put herself between him and the dragon, making a shield of water appear to protect them from another of the dragon's earthy attacks. When both elements collided, the water shield buckled under the force, and a large chunk of it was sent pooling in their direction, but as the solution became a wall of mud, Ann re-shaped it.

Cole realised that he should be doing something right about now, so he reached out to take control of the mud beside Ann. He could tell, by some sixth sense, that the dragon had relented in its attack, so he shaped the mud into a giant, floating spear head and drove it straight at the creature's heart. It flew through the air, but when it met with the dragon's scales, the mud splattered like a water balloon.

Cole grabbed Ann's hand and led her over to Jay as quickly as possible. They both collapsed behind a large rock, panting and sweaty.

"You really think I'm the only one who can stop that thing?" Cole asked.

Ann turned to him and said, "I think it's our only real chance."

Cole was thoughtful for a moment. Then an idea formed in his mind. "If we can just reach the Scythe the dragon won't be a problem."

"I can sling shot you over there," she said confidently. "But we'll need a distraction."

"Did someone call my name?" Jay asked, coming up beside them.

They had their plan. Now the beast was making his way over to them and they needed to move. All at once, they jumped from their hiding place and bolted for it. Jay ran one way, shouting and throwing things at the dragon, while Cole and Ann ran in the opposite direction, toward the Scythe.

"Once you're airborne, I don't know if I'll be able to catch you," Ann warned as they ran.

"I can catch myself... I think," answered Cole.

"Then hold on!" Ann created a large blob of water and scooped Cole up in it. He felt like he had just fallen into a water bed as she pulled the water back a bit, like with a bow and arrow, then the blob became a long cylinder as it pushed Cole forward several feet in the air, as if he had been shot out of a canon. The wind rushing passed him hurt his eyes, but he did his best to keep them open as he prepared for his landing. The weapon was getting so close. So very close—

Cole let out a gruesome scream as he came to a startling stop, having crashed into the tail of the earth dragon. He felt the air leave his lungs and as he fell to the stone floor he could barely breathe.

Looking up at the bulky form of the dragon as it hovered over him, he prayed a silent prayer. He tried to get up, but he was so sore, and so out of breath. He was on his side now, trying to prop himself up on his knees when he felt a sudden pressure which knocked him on his stomach. It wrapped around him, cool and course, until he felt like his whole body was immersed. He had been buried alive.

Dirt filled his nostrils as he tried to breathe in, and he felt like he might suffocate, right after he puked. Cole squirmed, but even with his great strength, he couldn't break free.

His eyes were closed, and he tried to relax. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and his sweat made the dirt stick to his skin.

Then he thought he felt something. A deep feeling rose in his chest and poured through his stomach; it raced up to his head. Cole had never experienced it before, and the more he concentrated on it, the more it grew, like a homing beacon. In a way, it felt relaxing. It was familiar somehow, and when the feeling settled in, he knew that he could trust it.

He felt like he was beginning to float, now. The pressure of the dirt on top of him began to lessen, and he could breathe again. He opened his eyes and looked around. The cave was still dark, but the earth dragon lit up about half of it. It's back was turned toward him, and it was standing over Ann and Jay, poised to strike.

"Hey!" Cole shouted. The dragon looked up suddenly and turned toward him. "Leave them alone!" The dragon looked positively startled and let out some sort of whimper. Lowering it's head, it slunk over to where Cole was and... was it bowing?

In an instant, the cave was pitch black again, and Cole found himself falling to the ground.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Scythe

Cole landed on mostly smooth stone, and felt all of that loose dirt from before showering down around him. That feeling in his chest was gone, and his fear began to return to him as he breathed hard.

"Cole!" Jay shouted as he and Ann raced over. "Where are you?"

"Over here," he said, haggardly.

He could hear their footsteps coming closer, and their hands were on him shortly after. They were trying to prop him upright.

"What happened?" Ann asked.

"Yeah! The dragon was just about to turn us into his lunch, but then he just turned around and left, like we weren't good enough for him!" Jay blurted.

Cole tried to fight off the last remainder of shock and said, "I don't know... it all happened so fast... I used my powers, I guess. But I didn't have to fight him or anything, he just... disappeared."

"Disappeared..."Ann murmured. "Does that mean he was never real in the first place? Was it just an illusion?"

"Then all of this dirt must be an illusion too," said Cole. "I almost suffocated."

"So was it real?" Jay asked. They were all silent.

"Probably one of The First Spinjitsu Master's tricks," Ann reasoned. "But let's not dwell on that too long. We have more important things to worry about."

All eyes turned to The Golden Weapon still perched on its little pedestal in the centre of the room. Cole got up shakily and stepped forward.

Up close, the weapon was quite exquisite. It did indeed look to be made of solid gold, with an intricate head engraved with a depiction of a roaring dragon. There were small jewels adorning the dragon's eyes and the handle, and many more engravings all over the weapon's body. It stood as high as Cole's chest while it rested on its pedestal, and the light emanating from it took one's breath away.

He could feel the power oozing from it now. It drew him closer, as if casting a spell over him; he wanted to to grasp it desperately. He wasted no time reaching out, and the moment his fingers touched the cold, leather-bound handle, he felt its energy shoot through him. It was ten times as exhilarating as the power surge he had felt just a few minutes ago, and he had to use both hands just to keep his hold on the weapon.

His arms felt like they were on fire, and his mind was overloaded from the many sensations he was experiencing all at once. He breathed in rapidly, and then used all of his strength to lift the hammer from its resting place.

For a few moments, Cole just stood there, looking at the beautiful weapon. Its detailing was so minute, so intricate, and the brightness of the amber-coloured stones set into the gold, not only distracted him, they captivated him to the point that he could not see, nor sense anything else besides.

"_cole... Cole... Cole snap out of it! _Cole!"

He was being shaken by someone. He turned to his right and saw Ann looking at him sternly. Suddenly, the overwhelming presence of the weapon left him, clearing his mind and letting him think again. He put his head in his hand as his forehead throbbed.

"Are you okay?" Ann pressed.

"Y-Yeah... I think so," Cole answered. He looked down at the weapon again and marvelled at it. Just holding it seemed to deepen his connection to his element, and he was certain that he could sense all of the surrounding caves, including the crowd of Skulken soldiers making their way down a tunnel that lead straight into that cavern.

"Over there!" Cole shouted. "Skulkens!"

"Where?" Jay asked, but Ann was already putting her mask back on. Cole and Jay did the same just as the skeletons entered, carrying torches and lanterns. They were on the opposite side of the cavern from where Cole, Jay, and Ann had entered.

"They have the weapon!" one of them called.

Cole was just about to leap forward and crush them with the Scythe, but Ann grabbed his arm. "No," she said firmly. "Sensei Wu told you not to use the weapon. I will handle this."

She stepped forward and began to use her water to knock the soldiers into the cave walls, flinging them several yards, and shattering them with a few forceful attacks. However, the hundred soldiers that they saw on the surface must have only been a small group left to guard the entrance, because the cavern now became flooded with several hundred Skulkens, swarming Ann. As more and more entered, she began to have trouble getting them all as it appeared that her attacks could only be so big.

Now the Skulkens were getting dangerously close, so close that one was able to create a tear in Ann's shozoku (sh-oh-z-oh-koo / ninja outfit), and Cole was becoming twitchy. He had to do something, and with the weapon, it would be so easy. So very easy.

He felt his eyelids grow heavy, and he let himself get carried away by the thoughts swirling through his brain. The next thing he knew, he had leapt into the air, Scythe raised above his head, and then he brought it smashing back down onto the cave floor. It cracked the stone, sending chunks flying through the air, and creating a massive crater beneath him. The following shockwave created a long fissure in the cave floor that quickly spread to where the Skulkens were standing, and in an instant, it widened so large that it swallowed them whole, down into the darkness below. Without missing a beat, Cole raised the Scythe again and created a large slab of stone under Ann's feet and carried her to safety. When all the dust settled, there was silence, and darkness, once more.

"What were you thinking?!" Ann growled as she came closer to where Cole and Jay were standing. "Don't you realise that the weapon could have killed us all?"

Cole's mind was beginning to clear again, and he answered, "But we're all fine. I'd call this a win."

Ann grumbled. "If it weren't for the fact that I would perish if I touched the weapon, I'd take it from you right now." She narrowed her eyes at him and he shrunk back a bit. "Come on. Sensei Wu is waiting." She turned sharply and began making her way toward the entrance they had used, which must have been the back of the cave, and Jay and Cole followed silently.

Cole began to wonder: if Ann was this upset, how upset would Wu be?

The weapon did indeed light up their way quite nicely, and they reached the other end of the cave with relative ease. Then, when they had located the blocked entrance, now to be their exit, Cole had to put the weapon down and get them out himself. He wanted to argue with Ann, who was forcing him to use his own powers, but he didn't really feel like arguing right then.

When the weapon slipped from his fingers, landing solidly on the ground, he felt the overwhelming sensations leave him. His chest felt somewhat empty, his breathing normalised, and his head was completely clear again, but he still wished he didn't have to let go.

The cave-in was fairly extensive and it took them a while before Cole had cleared everything out of the way. He was thoroughly exhausted when it was all over, and when he picked up the Scythe again, it's overwhelming power nearly took control of him. He tried to fight it as best as he could, though, as he had to use its power to lead them out of the maze-like cave system.

When they emerged from the weapon chamber, Sensei Wu and the others were nowhere to be found. Ann suggested that they were either looking for another way into the weapon room, or had gone back outside. They reasoned that they should check the surface first, and if they weren't there, they should wait for them to return.

Most of the walk was a blur to Cole, but as they found sunlight again and crept out of the tunnels, he felt uneasy. He began to realise that he liked being underground much more than he liked being above it.

"There you are," said Master Wu. He, Kai, Keaton, and Zane had indeed been waiting here for them, and Wu looked furious. "What happened down there?"

"Sensei," Ann said as she bowed. "We found the weapon. It was indeed protected by a guardian... a dragon. We managed to stop it, and Cole retrieved the Scythe, but then a legion of Skulkens arrived. I tried to fight them off, but..."

"But Mr. Becket used the weapon," Wu finished, staring knowingly at the young man.

Cole said nothing. He stood still, staring at the grassy ground, holding on tightly to his Scythe.

"I was afraid that the weapon's power may prove too much for you, and it would seem that I was correct," said Wu coldly. "You are forbidden from ever using it again unless I say otherwise! Do you understand?"

Cole clenched his jaw and breathed sharply, but still did not raise his head to look his Sensei in the eye. He had known that this was coming, but he still reasoned that what he did down there saved Ann's life.

He reluctantly nodded to Wu.

"Look me in the eye and speak, Cole," said Wu, becoming even more stern.

Cole looked up sharply and tried not to look like he was about to throw a tantrum.

"Yes... Sensei," he said quietly.

"Now, wrap the weapon in this," Wu came forward and gave Cole a thick, scratchy blanket. "Keep it with you at all times, but if you attempt to use it once more without permission, there will be serious consequences."

Cole took the blanket, but only barely. He was on the verge of completely rebelling against Wu, but the only thing that held him back was... well, he wasn't entirely sure what it was.

He unhappily wrapped up the weapon, then used a leather strap to tie it to his back. Unfortunately for him, he could not feel the weapon's power now. It was almost cruel, how it was so close, and yet so out of reach. Deep down, he knew that Wu was right, but he just couldn't bring himself to admit it.

The group went back to where they had left their horses and saddled up immediately. Wu told them that it would not take long for word of this to spread and that they had to move on to the next weapon as quickly as possible.

"To the Frozen Wastelands."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Frozen Wastelands

Zane was silent as he and the others rode along the earthy path. He was often silent. His thoughts were always with his friends back home, rarely with the people in front of him. Many different worries plagued him day and night, and he would only rest after this war was over.

Cole, Wu, and Ann had been very tense ever since the Caves of Despair, and he couldn't blame them. Up on the surface, Zane could tell that something had been wrong, as the ground had shaken several times. It was a miracle that Cole hadn't buried them alive.

As they went, swaying to and fro on their horses, Zane noticed that it was getting progressively colder. The day before, it had only reached about sixty degrees (15°C) and today it felt more like fifty-five degrees (12°C). They were headed toward the north-east coast of Ninjago; a coast which connected to the Kyodaina Ocean. The Frozen Wastelands were said to lie just beyond that, as cold and inhospitable as the name suggests. They were to rent a ship and sail to these wastelands where they would find the Daggers of Ice.

Truthfully, out of all the dangers they were going to face, Zane's biggest concern was the dragon guardian who was sure to be protecting these weapons. From what he understood, Cole had barely managed to defeat the earth dragon—without even realising how he had done it—which made it very difficult for Zane to plan accordingly. This would take a great deal of his powers to defeat.

"Did anyone pack extra jackets, or blankets?" Jay asked as a particularly cold wind rushed passed.

Ann ordered her horse forward until she was beside the luggage horse where she pulled out a large, black and blue coat. She tossed it to Jay before returning to her position at the back of the train. Ann also didn't say much most of the time. It was probably because of her time serving Sensei Wu, learning to become a ninja.

They had been traveling for several days now, slowly making their way north, but Zane could tell that they were all getting restless; especially Kai, who was almost ready to join them in their exercises and in battle. Speaking of which, at that moment, Ann called the three of them to jog again, which was met by a very loud groan from Jay.

"If the dragons... don't kill me," Jay panted as they ran. "Then... this will!"

"Relax. You can't actually die from running," said Zane.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll find a way," Cole replied. That was the first light-hearted thing he'd said in a while.

"I'm... just not... cut out... for this," Jay went on. "You guys... you're like... the 'All Mights'... of this group. Me? I'm a Deku... a weak... noodle-armed—rock!" Jay squealed as one of his feet tripped over a stone and he fell down hard. Zane and Cole stopped to help him back up.

"Carry me, Cole," Jay begged.

"Yeah, that's a definite 'no'," Cole said simply. Jay groaned again.

"Boys, let's keep moving!" Ann called from up ahead.

The next day, they finally reached the north-eastern shore where they found an old fishing boat for rent. It was white and blue, and fairly beaten up, but it would do nicely. They left their horses with a nearby farmer and set a course for The Frozen Wastelands.

When they first left land, the weather was fair and the wind was pleasant, but Cole seemed a little nauseous. Kai didn't look much better, however Zane and the others managed to find their sea legs fairly quickly.

Ann, being the water elemental that she was, knew quite a lot about nautical facts and sailing, leaving her to do most of the work concerning the steering and map reading, while Keaton managed the sails.

Zane gazed out at the blue horizon and felt a chill ripple across his skin like goosebumps. He breathed in through his nose slowly and let the salty, grimy air sink in. For him, it was a comforting smell; the smell of home. Keaton slowly walked up beside him and leaned against the railing of the deck, her eyes lost in thought like his.

"Zane," she said after a while. "Do you... like your powers?" She turned around to face him, but remained leaning on the railing.

It took Zane a moment to properly process her question. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean... never mind," Keaton said quickly, and she turned back to the ocean.

"Well, it's just that I've never thought about it before," said Zane, moving forward to his little companion. "I've always had my powers... and I'd say that they have proven very useful and effective over the years... but somewhat hard to control at times."

"Hard to control?" Keaton asked curiously. She turned to face him again with wide eyes.

"Yes," Zane said simply. "It's difficult to explain... but... it feels like... like one of those waves down there. So big and powerful. Each time I set the ice free, it all wants to come out, and I have to make sure that it doesn't, because then I might hurt someone."

They were both quiet for a minute. Keaton didn't seem like her typical cheerful self at all, but Zane didn't ask her about it. Instead they both just enjoyed the view for a while. It was very nice to just be able to breathe and watch the water break upon the hull of the ship, and the seagulls fly overhead, and the fog bank roll in. Soon, there wasn't much left to see, and Keaton left to go help her sister steer the ship. Zane stayed, though. He still had a lot to think about, like the fact that he was part of a secret group of elementals. Of course he had always wondered if there were other people like him, somewhere in the world, but when Master Wu—Sensei Wu, now—came to him, this was the last thing he had anticipated.

Speaking of which, Zane still had not gotten the chance to ask Wu about how he knew his last name. He reasoned that since they would be in for a long voyage, now might be the best time to find him and ask.

Wu was below deck, drinking tea. When Zane entered the room, he looked up and smiled weakly.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd come," Wu said. "Please, have a seat. Tea?"

"No thank you," Zane replied and he sat down. "I came to ask about the note you left for me." Wu raised an eyebrow. "You addressed it 'Zane Julien.' How is it you know my last name?"

Wu seemed a bit confused by this question and thought for a moment. "You did not know your own name?"

"No, " said Zane. "There is much I don't remember about my past. But you seem to."

Wu sipped his tea. "Not as much as you are hoping, young Zane. At one time, I knew your father, but that was many years ago, and I do not know his current whereabouts."

Zane's eyes were as wide as saucers. "What was his name?"

"Doctor—"

Suddenly, the ship lurched and both of them fell on their sides as the tea pot spilled all over the floor. Wu rose immediately and headed above deck. Zane followed him, and when he arrived, he found himself starring into the thickest, whitest fog that he had ever seen.

"We've hit something!" he heard Ann yell.

"Is the boat intact?"

"I think so."

Zane carefully made his way through the fog and over to the ship's railing, to see if he could find whatever it was that they had hit.

"It's impossible to see anything in this."

"Fog's only water, Ann. Can't you see in it?"

"There are water particles all around us, but they're scattered and fuzzy. I can only kind of make out a few things _if _I sense them in time."

Zane leaned over the rail, but he still couldn't see anything. He followed the metal bar around the ship's deck until he suddenly stopped. There was something down there, he knew it, he just couldn't figure out what.

"Yikes! It's freezing out here!" Jay cried.

That's when it clicked.

"It's ice!" Zane called to everyone.

"What?"

"We've hit a small chunk of ice in the water!" Zane clarified.

"That's impossible," said Ann. "We can't be that close to the Wastelands yet."

"I'd trust the Master of Ice on this one," Cole said.

"As would I," Wu joined in. "Zane? Can you detect the ice in the water?"

He glanced down for a moment. "Yes, I should be able to."

"Then we'll have work together," Ann called. "I'll steer, you tell me where to go."

"You mean, after we dislodge the ice that's currently underneath us?" Jay asked.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Zane replied. He turned toward where he felt the ice was and reached out to it. With a sort of pushing motion, he shoved the chunk away from them, causing the ship to rock a bit more.

Ann started up the engine again and they continued slowly on. Zane would reach out with his powers and warn Ann of any oncoming icebergs, and she would steer away from them. This continued on for the next hour.

By the following hour, everyone except for Zane, Ann, and Keaton were below deck, trying to keep warm. The temperature around them had to be at least six degrees (-14°C), and everyone was bundled up tightly.

"Starboard!" Zane shouted, sensing a large iceberg in the water. He heard Ann grunt as she wrestled with the steering wheel, and the whole ship slowly leaned to one side.

"How will we know when we're there?" Keaton asked from somewhere in the fog.

"S-sensei Wu s-said-d, 'look f-for the sil-l-v-ver eye,'" said Ann, through chattering teeth.

"Port! Port!" Zane cried suddenly. The ice was becoming more numerous and he had barely sensed that in time. When Ann turned the boat, it was so sudden that Zane would have completely fallen over if her hadn't caught himself on the railing. Then there was an ear splitting SCREEEEEEECH noise that sounded like a cheese grater on a chalk board.

"Was that the ice?!" Keaton shouted.

"Yes. B-but let's hop-pe that it d-d-didn't tear the ship open." Ann sounded like she could really use some time below deck.

"What kind of silver eye was Sensei Wu referring to?" Zane asked.

"I d-don't know," Ann answered. "But we m-m-must be getting c-close."

Zane scanned the soup-like fog, looking for any signs of "silver eyes" or land, but it was impossible to see through the mist. Then, all of a sudden, the fog was disappearing; rolling back over the ship. They must have been exiting the fog bank.

Now they all had a very clear idea of where they were, and it was both beautiful, and terrifying. Hundreds of pinnacle and windswept ice bergs surrounded them, in all shades of white and blue. They could only see a half-a-dozen-or-so yards ahead, however, as a thin layer of fog still surrounded them.

"See anything?" Keaton asked.

"Just a lot of ice," said Zane.

Then Zane heard the hatch open.

"What happened?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, what was that noise?" Cole joined in. He, Kai, Jay, and Master Wu came up onto the deck, all shivering.

"We scraped an iceberg," Zane explained. "So far as we know, it didn't do any extensive damage."

"Aw, great! This thing's gonna sink, now, isn't it?" Jay wailed. "And that means we're all gonna get hypothermia and die here in the frozen armpit of nowhere!"

"C-calm down, J-Jay," Kai stuttered.

"Indeed," said Wu. "To every problem, there is a solution, and for the moment, I would say that the ship is holding up fine. Now, have you found the..."

A noise in the distance cut him off. Everyone heard it, and stopped what they were doing immediately to listen. It sounded like a high pitched wail of some sort, almost like an actual whale, but different. It would last for about two to three seconds and then stop, only to resume again a short while later.

"There's something out there," Zane breathed.

"Oh no, you don't think...?" Jay asked, glancing at Cole.

"Look!" Keaton yelled. She was pointing to the port side of the boat where just within sight there was another ship, a ship that was filled to the brim with Skulkens. It looked as cursed as the soldiers themselves, painted black with rotting sails and ropes that normally wouldn't be able to work at all, but were clearly paranormal.

"Look out!" Kai screamed as the Skulkens fired a cannon ball straight at them. It hit the side of the ship with such intensity that it bent the railing and sent chunks of wood flying through the air. Everyone had dropped to their stomachs just in time, and thankfully, none of them were injured.

Zane lifted his head and tried to find the ship again, but it had been swallowed by the mist.

"Where did they go?" Cole asked as he stood.

"It's impossible to tell," said Ann. "Zane, I n-need you looking for icebergs."

He nodded in her direction and went to the bow of the ship as she had instructed, however this time he was also keeping his eyes peeled for the Skulkens.

"What do we do?" Zane heard Jay ask.

"There is only so much we _can _do," Wu replied. "The ice and fog should provide us with sufficient cover for now, but we will have to face them again, doubtless. When we do, you must be prepared to defend the ship with your powers."

As the tension rose, so did the number of ice bergs and growlers (small chunks of ice). It was becoming increasingly difficult for Ann to steer the ship through the treacherous obstacle course, and soon they came to a complete dead-end.

"Well, that's just g-great!" Kai yelled. "Now what?"

"We continue on foot," said Wu.

"Are you insane?" Kai challenged. His face looked almost purple from the cold, and he was clearly in a bad mood. "It's f-freezing! W-we p-p-probably won't ev-ven be able to find our w-way b-b-back!"

"I can leave ice markers behind us," Zane said.

"There, problem solved," said Cole as he began to move forward. "We'll be fine if we hurry." Jay and the others began to follow, but Zane was sure that he heard Kai mutter, "A-am I the only one here with any c-common sense?"

They leapt over the hull of the ship and landed on the snow-covered ice with quiet "thuds." Before them was an endless mass of pure white, above and below. It was also deathly silent; not a sound was to be heard except for their own breathing and footsteps.

"You know, we'd have a much e-easier time finding this 'silver eye' if t-there wasn't s-so much f-fog," Jay mentioned after a while.

"No duh," Kai snapped.

"Kai, calm down," Cole replied.

"Calm down?" Kai repeated, storming up to him. "Calm down?! We're out here in the middle of a frozen wasteland with n-no idea where we're going, m-meanwhile, there's a horde of Skulkens out there searching for us! And you want me t-to calm down?!"

"Kai! Stop this at once!" said Master Wu sternly. "If you give in to feelings of rage and despair, then you will lose your way. You must have patience!" Kai scowled at the old man, but said nothing. "We will find the Daggers of Ice soon enough, but Jay does make an excellent point. Ann, would you—"

"Ooooooohaaaarrrr….."

Everybody seemed to be holding their breath at once, and Zane began to look around quickly. That had sounded much nearer that it had last time, but it was impossible to tell from which direction it came as it bounced around all of the ice. Then a bone-chilling wind gushed passed them, bringing with it more fog and snow.

"Stay close together!" Wu ordered. "Ann, clear away the fog."

She nodded and without a second of delay, she had pushed forward using her hands and the fog relented. Another gust of wind shot passed them, and the fog returned, perhaps even thicker than it had been before. Ann didn't move at first, and then tried again, but the exact same thing happened.

"It's impossible. It j-just keeps c-coming back-k," she said, somewhat defeated.

"Oooooohaarooooaaaarrrr!"

"Is that the dragon?" Zane asked nervously.

"I dunno," said Cole. "The earth dragon sounded different."

Zane was scanning the area for any hints as to the origin of the noise, but the fog kept everything well hidden.

A feeling pinged in his chest and made him stop moving entirely. I was like he had just swallowed an ice cube whole, and it felt very familiar. So familiar that he could almost make out its meaning, but no sooner had it arrived when he heard a loud scuffling noise, followed by the sound of Kai screaming, and then silence.

Zane whipped around only to find more empty whiteness.

"Kai? Sensei Wu?" he called out, fearing the worst.

"We're hear," said Jay. "W-where are y-you?"

"Exactly where I was a few seconds ago," Zane replied. "Kai? Are you all right?" There was no answer. "Kai?"

"He's gone!" Keaton shrieked.

"The ice dragon must be here! Be on guard!" Wu warned. "We must find the eye quickly."

The first thing Zane thought to do was reach out with his powers to find the beast, but the only thing he could sense was the ice all around him. Then that feeling pinged again, and he cried, "Look out!" but the scuffling sound came, Jay cried out, and then the silence returned. "This dragon relies on ambush attacks! Find cover!"

The next moment was filled with the sound of many feet scrambling over the ice, until everyone had either stopped, or was so far away the they could no longer be heard. Zane managed to find a sort of ice cave and hid himself as deeply as the shallow indent would allow. Now he needed to think up a plan of attack.

The dragon easily had a size advantage over him, and probably a power advantage as well, but it relied heavily on the cover of the fog, which must mean that it wasn't strong enough to take them head on. All he needed to do was find out how to track it in the mist, then strike.

Zane placed a hand on the frozen ground and reached out. Across from him, hiding in similar positions, were Ann, Keaton, Cole, and Wu. There was a tall wall of ice behind them, and another behind himself, making the open area between them a perfect valley. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sense the presence of another creature. The only life nearby, warming the ice, was the others and himse—wait… was he generating heat? As he scanned over his body, he found that his own presence didn't register as a living thing, since it wasn't effecting the ice beneath him. He was invisible even to himself. Logically this was because of his powers, but then it dawned on him that this dragon was likely the same way. He couldn't be looking for signs of heat, he needed to be looking for movement.

"Oooooorrrrraaarrrrrr….."

The wind picked up again, sending the snow hurling towards the ground, so fast that it was likely to become a blizzard soon. How was he supposed to detect movement with all of that going on? There was only one thing he could do: he had some sort of early warning system that alerted him of the dragon's approach, so all he needed to do was offer himself up as bait, then when the creature came to strike, he would sense it approaching and take it down.

He rose from his seat and barrelled through the wind and snow, covering his face with his hood as much as possible.

"Come and get me, you brute!" he called out.

"Zane, what are you doing?" Cole cried.

He breathed in and out, waiting and waiting and waiting. The snow whirled around his face and bit at his nose, and the silence wore on for an eternity. Then the feeling pinged in his chest, and when the scuffling sound began, Zane was prepared. He instantly shot out long spears of ice, to which the dragon responded with a very loud, "Aaaaarrrooooorrrr!"

There was a split second when he thought he saw it moving in the mist, but it was impossible to tell how much damage he had inflicted.

Then there was silence.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Daggers of Ice

Zane remained as still as he possibly could as he waited for the dragon to make a second attempt at him, but the more seconds went by, the more he began to think that he really had defeated it. However a proper investigation was going to have to wait.

"Sensei Wu? Cole? Ann?" he called out. They were still right where he had left them, and very much in need of warm shelter. "We must hurry. The sooner we find the weapon, the sooner we can leave this place."

"But n-now we need to f-find Jay and Kai," Ann pointed out as she crawled from her hiding place. "The d-dragon p-p-probably took them-m b-back to its nest. But where would that b-be?"

"It c-could b-be anywhere," Cole noted. The miles and miles of fog suddenly weighed down on them with such force that anyone might loose hope immediately.

"I can find them," said Zane. "If they're touching the ice, I'll find them."

The group headed north in agreement and followed the path which the ancient glacier had made, making markers along the way. The terrain began to slope upwards, and soon they were met by a mountain of white and blue. The only distinguishable feature nearby was a large, dark hole; the entrance into a cave.

"Not another cave," Keaton muttered. As soon as the words had left her lips, Zane noticed Ann lean down to her sister and whispered something in her ear. Neither of the girls looked happy about what she had said.

"W-we k-keep going. See here," she gestured to the cave wall where they could all clearly make out an eye shaped symbol. "This w-way."

On they went, plunged into the freezing darkness, guided by Wu's ball of light. As they walked, Zane realised how quiet Wu had been up to this point and wondered if he was feeling well. It was difficult to make out his face from behind his thick hood, but he didn't sound out of breath or look as if he was having trouble keeping up with them. However from that point on, Zane kept his eye on him.

The cave was very large and labyrinth-like. In fact, it looked less like a cave, and more like a loaf of bread that has risen with many air pockets inside of it.

"Hello, Master Wu," came a gravely voice.

Everyone turned to see a platoon of Skulkins emerging from the ice, lead by a captain whose face was half cracked from skull to jaw. Zane looked down and saw that he had Kai and Jay held by the collar in both of his hands. Jay was manic and fought against the bonds which kept his hands held and his mouth at bay, while Kai appeared limp and shivering.

All were silent as the Captain continued, "As you can see, we have some very precious cargo here. Let us pass and these pathetic wimps will be yours again."

This was clearly the same crew they had met in the ice field, and evidentially they were able to reach the Daggers of Ice before them. No doubt the dragon would have slowed them down if it hadn't been preoccupied with Kai and Jay.

Instantly, Zane's eyes searched the soldiers up and down, trying to find where they were smuggling the Daggers. There was a small parcel hanging from the Captain's hip, but there was no guarantee of what was inside of it.

He then remembered the Skulkin's demands and observed the two young boys. Jay appeared too terrified to come up with any other wish than to be rescued, and Kai remained silent. It was imperative that Kai be brought to safety at once as he would undoubtedly succumb to hypothermia within a matter of minutes, but if Lord Garmadon managed to acquire even one weapon, there would be no telling how much havoc he would wreak.

The most logical course of action would be to—would be to—to—

Zane couldn't let himself finish the thought. He knew the weapons were more important, but there was something inside of him that outright refused to even entertain the idea of letting the two of them be sacrificed for the mission. He gritted his teeth and frantically began to think of an alternative solution.

What happened in the next few moments was a blur, even to Zane, but in short: without realising what he had done, Zane summoned a chunk of ice from behind the Captain and it came flying toward the back of Kai's neck. When it hit, something very strange changed in Kai's demeanour, and suddenly he was shouting and breathing fire uncontrollably. The Captain was startled, as were his troops, and in the confusion Zane lunged forward to take out the Captain and retrieve both his friends plus the weapon, meanwhile the other ninja took action in holding back the skeleton legion. Zane grabbed Jay by his shirt and hurled him toward the cave entrance before pinning the Captain with a large icicle and taking the parcel from his side.

"Aaaaaoooorrrrrrrr!"

The ice dragon reappeared, flying straight toward Zane and the weapons. The ninja sensed this just in time, then grabbed Kai and began his retreat; the others followed.

Kai had stopped breathing fire, and looked to be much warmer now, however extremely shaken and bewildered.

"Where are we going?!" Ann shouted above the noise of enemy soldiers charging after them, not to mention a shrieking dragon.

"I have the weapons!" Zane yelled. "We need to get back to the ship! Follow the markers!"

As he was speaking, the dragon swooped down and, despite his early warning, grabbed Zane in its large claws and they began to fly high above the ground.

"Zane!" he heard several people cry.

His arms were completely immobilised, and he was barely able to see with all of the wind and snow sheering his eyes. But then something warm and wet hit his face, filling his nostrils with the distinct smell of iron. There must've been a wound in the dragon's skin somewhere ahead of him, most likely damage that he had inflicted earlier.

Zane used all of his strength to hurl his legs upward, creating two large icicles that swung up with them, then suddenly their was a sickening squishy noise and an ear-splitting shriek. They began to lose altitude immediately and Zane felt the dragon's grip loosen on him. He grabbed hold of the beast's feet before he fell completely and began to climb up onto its back, holding on to whatever scales he could. At some point they had changed direction and their crash course took them right towards everyone else down below. Zane raised his arms and quickly created a thin wall of ice between his friends and the Skulkens then leapt from the dragon's back before it collided with the iceberg's surface. He felt the ice slam against his skin as he tumbled and he looked up to find a massive crater in the ice which had sent several large cracks shooting from its center. However, the body of the dragon, which must have created the crater, was nowhere to be seen.

"Zane, come on!" Keaton shouted as she rushed over to help him up. "Where are the weapons?"

Zane's eyes widened and he felt his belt for the parcel, but there was nothing there. Thankfully they found the daggers not too far away; they had probably fallen during the flight.

The moment Zane's hands grasped the bag there was a sickening sound which echoed all around them. The cracks in the ice were spreading and at an alarming pace, then there was the fact that the Skulkens were breaking through Zane's wall.

"Come on!" Keaton yelled. She grabbed him and for a moment Zane was alarmed at how fast they seemed to be running until he realised that Keaton must have been using her powers to push them forward.

They caught up with the others in a matter of moments, each of them equally terrified of the ice breaking apart at their feet. The ship was in sight when they felt that the iceberg was sinking. What had happened was that section of the ice had severed from the whole and was now slipping into the water, flipping forward as it did so, sending the ninja flying forward and landing them onto their ship while pushing the vessel out to sea as it collapsed into the water. No one's landing was graceful, and after a few minutes of complete stillness they felt like they could breath again.

"What in the name of the First Spinjitzu Master just happened?!" Kai exclaimed from somewhere nearby. Zane was far too shaken to sit up and his eyes were still closed.

"I... I'm not entirely sure," said Ann, with remarkable calmness, all things considered.

"Did we at least get the weapon?" Cole asked.

"Yes," Zane said, and he lifted his hand which was still clutching the parcel.

There was another minute or two of silence before Kai had enough strength to ask the next question, "And what happened in the cave?"

Zane sat up slowly and opened his eyes. Everybody was lying on the deck in some form or another, visibly bruised and tired, especially Jay who looked as though he might faint. Kai was leaning against the railing opposite to him.

"You mean your... outburst?" Cole asked.

Kai seemed very uneasy and somewhat embarrassed but nodded his head.

"I thought you knew," said Ann. "Given that you were the one breathing fire."

Kai looked down and didn't say any more, but Zane knew—or he had guessed as much—that he was responsible for triggering that response in Kai. He had summoned that ice, formed it into the shape of a hand, and it landed on a very specific spot in Kai's neck. There was only one flaw in this thought, however, and that was the fact that Zane had no idea what he had done or that there was a pressure point that would activate his powers.

"Whatever may have happened, let us be glad that we are safe and victorious," said Wu calmly. "Let us go below deck and warm ourselves. Perhaps have some hot chocolate."

Everyone agreed silently and they all helped each other up and then down into the warm darkness of the hold.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Argument

Jay breathed in deeply and adjusted the thick blanket slung around his shoulders. His cup of hot chocolate was shaking in his hands and he was alone in a corner of the sleeping quarters, still on the ship. Ann, Keaton, and Zane were above steering them home, and everyone else was still in the hold.

The scenes from the iceberg were replaying in his mind over and over again. There he was, standing in the midst of the fog when suddenly six massive claws were sinking into his skin and he was being pulled up into the air, only to be dumped into a massive dragon nest and then taken captive by the Skulkens. He could still feel the steel of the Captain's sword pressed against his neck. And there he was, like a complete idiot, begging for the others to save him. Kai had been calm. Kai had actually created a distraction so Zane could save them. Kai knew how to use his powers.

After the Caves of Despair, Jay had felt very confident, having braved an Earth Dragon, but at the same time the few minutes he had spent with Ann trying to activate his powers had only sharpened a certain point which had been pressing at his heart. And now his capture... He was beginning to wonder if he really was the Master of Lightning. Maybe Wu had made a mistake. It definitely seemed like it.

How could he have been so stupid as to think that he was some sort of special hero? He had never controlled lightning in his life, and he wasn't anything like the others. He wasn't tall, or strong, or even fit. True, Keaton was small, but she was only twelve. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He didn't belong. This wasn't right.

Suddenly his heart stopped with fear. If he wasn't an elemental, then what would happen when he tried to grab the Nunchucks of Lightning later on? Wu had said that any mortal who tried to take a golden weapon would die from its overwhelming power. He almost dropped his mug entirely. He needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Besides, he had almost died several times already, and he wasn't sure if he could take any more.

He needed to appeal to Master Wu. Surely he could see that there was a mistake. He needed to go home. He needed to see his parents again, and before he knew it, Jay had tears streaming down his face. He couldn't handle this anymore. He needed to get away.

Jay stayed curled under his blanket until the ship pulled into the harbour and then, when they were all standing on firm ground once again, Jay looked around him at the others then at himself. The signs became even clearer now. He stood a good nine inches shorter than Zane, and next to Cole his arms looked like pale noodles.

"Next we head to..." Wu was saying, but it was hard for Jay to concentrate when all he could think of was getting away. They began to move forward, toward the stables where they had left their horses, and Jay followed in a daze.

His parents would be so disappointed in him when he came home. Wu would be disappointed in him too. Everyone would be. There was so much pressure on his shoulders, it felt like. But he couldn't keep going or else he knew he'd die.

Every attempt he made that day to speak with Wu failed miserably. Since they were on a tight schedule, they were always moving, and since this was a conversation Jay would rather have in private, something they didn't have very much of, he was forced to wait until that night when they made camp, but once again, Wu went straight to bed after dinner and there didn't seem like there was any appropriate moment to approach him.

Jay was very quiet at dinner, but thankfully so was everyone else. When he went to sleep that night he unrolled his mat a little further away from the other boys and held his blanket tightly, wishing he was home. Then when morning came he didn't want to open his eyes for fear of finding himself once again faced with all of the anxieties and dangers the day promised.

"Jay, come on, get up," Cole was grumbling as he came over and nudged him. Jay didn't know how to respond. Everything seemed different now. Cole and the others... they were something else.

"Jay, come on, before Ann starts nagging us." Jay could feel a large hand on his arm as Cole forcefully rolled him over to face him. "Woah," Cole said when he saw the bags under Jay's eyes. He hadn't been able to sleep very well the night before. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," said Jay and he turned his face away as he got up.

"Boys, let's go!" Ann called.

Cole sighed heavily with frustration before standing up and heading over to the horses. Jay breathed in deeply as he rolled up his mat and within the hour they were back on their horses heading south.

There was a new kind of silence in the air as Jay observed the countryside with very little regard for its stunning beauty. It felt as though he was the only one who could sense it; that no one else was even slightly aware of the obvious difference between them; it was as if his feelings were invisible.

Jay closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in through his nose. The cold air stung violently and he felt it fly down his throat. Then his stomach grumbled angrily and he regretted not eating breakfast that morning.

"How long will this take?" he heard Kai say.

"The journey will most likely take a few more days," said Wu.

"And then I get my sister back."

"You misunderstand. It will take us a few days to reach the Nunchucks, then a few days more to reach the Sword," Wu continued.

"So we're looking at—at the very least—two weeks? Why don't we just condemn every prisoner of Lord Garmadon's right now?" Kai grumbled.

"Don't talk that way to your Sensei," Ann snapped.

"Oh give it a rest, ice queen! It's not like you're in charge," Kai snapped back.

"Dude, cut it out! Calling people names isn't going help us get the golden weapons," said Cole suddenly. "How about you do something useful for a change instead of complaining."

"Excuse me?" Kai flared as he stopped his horse to look at Cole. "Oh, well I'm sorry if I've been _forced _to sit on the sidelines because of some stupid doctor's note! Out of all the people here, _I'm_ the _only_ _one_ who has a real reason to fight! Besides, it's not like Jay's been very helpful recently either."

Jay's head snapped up and his breathing turned shaky.

"Oh, picking on the little guy. Real macho!" Cole yelled, and he urged his horse forward.

"I believe Ann told you to stop!" Zane said, coming between them.

"No one asked you to step in, lickspittle," Kai spat. As they continued to argue, the horses became more and more agitated.

"That's a big word coming from a simpleton," said Zane, eyes narrowing.

"Zane, butt out," Cole snapped.

"All of you, enough! One more word and you're all running from here to the Sky Temple!" Ann yelled as she attempted to break the three of them up.

They all glared at her for a few good seconds, but she glared back with such firm resilience that even Kai felt somewhat defeated. Jaws still clenched and nostrils stilled flaring, all of the boys returned to their positions in the horse train and they continued on.

_Jay wasn't much help..._

_Picking on the little guy..._

They did see it. Everyone could clearly tell that he was the "little guy." Scenes from his memories began to play before his mind's eye and he remembered the first day he had arrived at the monastery. Ann was a fairly intimidating person to meet, with her being six feet tall and her steely eyes, but now that he thought about it, had she been glaring at him? He seemed to recall a moment when her faced appeared almost shocked to see him and then her brow furrowed and she seemed eager to leave his presence. Yes, it was so obvious now.

Zane never liked to be around him either—well, truth be told he never seemed to hang around anyone—and he always looked at him with little regard, Jay could tell.

Kai obviously thought very little of him, but what about Cole? Up until now Jay had thought that he was a reasonably good guy, and perhaps he was, but there was still a divide between them.

The situation only worsened from there. Every time a comment was made, or a task to be done, Jay was sure that it only carried negative connotations toward himself. Why hadn't Ann asked him to gather firewood? Was it because she thought he was too weak even to do that? Why had Zane decided to move forward in the horse train, farther from him? Was it because Zane disliked him or thought he was weird and different? Why did it feel like Kai was always grumbling about him in some way? Why did Cole's smiles suddenly seem fake?

"Why are you sitting by yourself?"

"Leave me alone!" Jay blurted, then froze. He opened his eyes wide and stared out into the darkness of night while Cole stood next to him, perplexed. He hadn't meant to lash out, but it was too late to take it back now.

"I was just asking a question, there's no need to get all worked up," Cole was saying as he moved back to the campfire, leaving Jay by himself under a maple tree.

"What's his problem?" he heard Kai ask.

"I don't know. Maybe he's just tired," Cole replied.

Jay felt resentment rise in him. "I'm not tired," he grumbled.

"What?" Cole asked.

"I said I'm not tired!" Jay cried.

"Okay, you're not tired, hooray for you," said Kai sarcastically, and he took another bite of dried pork.

"Knock it off, Kai," Jay went on, his heart reeling.

"Jay, calm down," Ann said smoothly. She didn't even look up at him as she said it, but contented herself with her dinner plate.

Jay felt like there was so much he wanted to say, but if Ann didn't want him to act like this, then maybe he just shouldn't be around. He muttered something under his breath and then rose to his feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ann inquired.

Jay rolled his eyes. He didn't owe her an explanation whatsoever and kept on walking, his back to the firelight.

"You'd better be back here in fifteen minutes or less," said Ann firmly.

Jay heaved a frustrated sigh but said nothing. He didn't know where he was walking either and stomped off into the dark forest completely aimless. He thought about leaving at that very moment, but quickly came to his senses. He didn't have a map or food on him and he probably wouldn't get far on foot anyway. But what if he did have all of those things, not to mention his horse? In theory he could wait until everyone else was asleep and then saddle up Butterscotch and disappear into the night. No uncomfortable talk with Wu and no more pressure from anyone. It would be so easy.

"Hey," said Cole as he came up behind Jay. "What's up with you? You're all pins and needles lately."

Jay shoved his hands into the pockets of his blue ninja garb and looked away. "It's nothing," he lied.

"It sure doesn't seem like nothing," Cole pressed.

"Nothing's wrong, okay? I'm fine." He silently prayed that Cole would leave him be, but he showed no intention of heading back to camp.

"Okay, so you're on edge for no reason?" Cole continued.

Jay grumbled, "Just leave me alone," and started walking faster.

"I'm sorry, did I do something to offend you?" Cole asked, tension rising in his voice. Jay didn't say anything. "Was it Kai?" Still no answer. "Ann?" Silence. "Dude, you have to tell someone what's going on, because—"

Jay clenched his jaw and couldn't bear to hear another word. "It's all of you!" he shouted. "You all—just..." He was failing to find the right words and ended up in silence again.

"Jay?" Cole said quietly.

At that moment a new thought came into Jay's mind. "How old were you?" he said. "How old were you when you discovered your powers?"

Cole didn't say anything for a second. "About eight, maybe a little younger. Don't tell me this is about your powers?"

"Why can't I use them?" Jay said as he turned around to face Cole. "You can't tell me it doesn't look weird. Out of all of us _I'm _the _only one _who's different. There's no way you haven't noticed."

"So what?" said Cole, perhaps a little unsure. "I mean, Wu said that all of our powers are different, so—"

"Oh, come on! That's a load of baloney! How long has Zane been using _his _powers? All his life, right? And what about Kai?" Jay went on, feeling his throat grow tight.

"Kai said he'd never used his powers before we met. Jay you're jumping to conclusions." Cole took a few steps closer to him, but Jay turned around and started walking away again. He should never have said anything. Cole didn't understand. But he was also relentless, and a few seconds later he was running up to his side. "Hey, there's always a chance that—"

"Just leave me alone, Cole," Jay said firmly. This time Cole didn't follow him and Jay wandered the forest for as long as he could before Ann came looking for him demanding an explanation. She monologued to him about "protocol" and "discipline" for a solid five minutes after that.

Soon everyone went to bed ill tempered and uneasy. Jay tossed and turned under his blankets and starred up at the starry sky until he was certain that everyone else was asleep, then sat up very slowly. He looked around and didn't see very much besides the dwindling fire and darkness. Fear kept him sitting there for several minutes but in the end he got up and tiptoed over to where the horses were sleeping.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The Storm

The ropes holding the horses in place came undone easily and Butterscotch woke up without so much as making a sound. There were a few tins of food sitting in Ann's travel case and a map in Wu's satchel, both of which Jay placed in his own saddle bags. He grabbed a warm jacket then climbed up onto his steed and took one last glance back at his companions. He had come so close to finding real friends... but not everyone gets that kind of clique.

The forest was especially difficult to navigate in the dark, but thankfully Jay always came prepared. He pulled out his electric blue flashlight and began plotting his route home. It wasn't as complicated as people made it look in the movies, but then again he was on a horse and not in a car on a busy city street.

A cold wind rushed passed making Jay shiver and he was zipping up his jacket when Butterscotch began grunting and whinnying violently. She started to back up and her ears stood on end, her head moving from side to side looking around the brush in front of them.

"Woah, woah, woah! Butterscotch, calm down! Calm down! It was just the wind!" Jay said as he tried to stroke her neck. Butterscotch did calm a little bit, but her ears were still up and she was visibly nervous. "We're just gonna keep moving forward. See? Nothing to worry about. Just your imagination." Perhaps he was saying it as much to himself as to the horse. After seeing how frighted she was, he began to wonder if perhaps there really was something out there, behind the black trees and bushes, and he began shining his flashlight wherever he thought he heard something.

Several minutes passed by and still the eeriness hung heavy around the young traveler. Staying back at camp suddenly became much more desirable, but it was too late now. And what if he returned and someone was awake and saw him? How would he explain himself then? No, he had to move on.

Butterscotch began to whinny again and she started to thrash and squirm, refusing to move any farther.

"Buttersco—Woah!" She reared up on her hind legs; Jay clenched his legs around her body and leaned in to hold her neck as tightly as possible and when he opened his eyes a moment later, miraculously, he was still on her back, however he had dropped his flashlight and now was left to what little moonlight could penetrate the thick branches above him.

The frightened horse remained in one place only long enough for Jay regain his senses before she charged ahead, through brush, into spiderwebs, and past the unkept trees. There was very little Jay could do, especially since he was much more concerned with avoiding the hard tree limbs as much as possible, and so was at the will of fate.

"Please stop! Please stop! Please stop! Please!" Jay screamed into Butterscotch's flurry of a mane.

Suddenly he felt something strong grab hold of his shoulder and he screamed and jumped so badly that he exposed himself and was immediately hit by passing foliage. A tree branch, no doubt, had struck him in the face, and the next thing he knew he was finally still and lying on the ground, ears ringing and mind swelling. There was a sickening moment when Jay couldn't so much as breathe in and panic seized him, but he lost consciousness before any real terrifying thoughts could form.

"_Grritch! O ckheger ugg toolihee... all right... that should do it... be safe."_

Pain was the first thing Jay felt when he woke up the next morning. His eyes strained against the unblemished sunlight and his face felt practically swollen. After what felt like an eternity just trying to sit upright, he looked around the unfamiliar forest. He had no idea where he was and frankly his memory of the night before was fuzzy to say the least, but he was more than surprised when he reached up to feel his nose, which felt like it had broken, and found that there was a thick, white bandage there.

Jay attempted to stand up; attempted and failed. His head immediately became dizzy and his vision was blurry, forcing him to remain on the cold grass for a while longer, but that was when he noticed his saddle bags sitting on the ground next to him. Butterscotch was nowhere to be seen, though, so any further attempts at getting home would be extremely difficult.

The sunlight was warm on his skin and the sound of the rustling leaves was very relaxing, so perhaps the situation wasn't all bad. He used his time to rest and eat a little food, then around noon he felt strong enough to stand. Clinging into a tree for support, his shaky legs lifted him up until he could see above the bushes all around him.

There were a lot of impressions in the grass around him too, mostly it looked like someone had been sitting next to him for a while, likely bandaging his nose. But who? Surely it wasn't Wu, and he didn't know anyone else who would be out here of all places...

SNAP!

A flock of ravens took flight suddenly and Jay looked around again. He could see the tree line from here, but the terrain behind wasn't at all familiar to him. He grabbed the saddlebags, swinging them over his shoulders, and slowly exited the woods to find himself surrounded by large rocks and loose dirt that kept going up and up. He needed to get a better view of the situation, and climbed up onto one of the boulders. From up there he could see past the trees and so much more. He could see all of Ninjago from here, and that's when he realised that he was on a mountain.

The wind picked up again and that's when he noticed the storm clouds on the horizon. It probably wasn't the best idea to up this high in a lightning storm, so he scrambled down and went back into the forest, tripping over his own feet half the time. However, when he tried to get back to where he had woken up, he found himself in an entirely different part of the forest. Even worse, he couldn't find a way past all the trees and bushes which had grown very thick and close to one another.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Jay cried. "It'll take me hours to get around all of this!" But the only choice he had was to go back up the mountain and see if there was another way around the woods.

The journey was unpleasant to say the least. Not only was Jay weighed down by the saddle bags but also by his own unhappiness.

"Couldn't have just stayed at camp..." he muttered. "No, no! You had to try to run away in the middle of the night. Real smart move, Jay. Next why don't you stick a fork in a toaster?"

His path lead him higher and higher and soon the sky was dark grey and the air felt wet with the promise of warm, early-summer rain.

After another hour he crested a small ridge and looked out at the world below, farther from it now than when he started. "Where the heck am I?!" Jay shouted at the wind after he collapsed from exhaustion. This was becoming ridiculous, and at this rate, he'd be caught in the storm for sure. "Someone?! Anyone?! Please, I don't want to be alone anymore!" The wind responded with a large gust aimed right at his face. He bent over on his knees and heaved deep sighs of depression while the first peels of thunder thrummed in the distance.

He stared up at the sky angrily. "You think this is funny, don't you?!" he cried. Just then, a fat raindrop landed on his face, prophesying the rain to come and he wiped it away indignantly. Soon it was drizzling, and Jay walked on hoping to come by some shelter, or perhaps a tree thick enough to offer relief from the storm, then stopped when he thought he saw a very strange arrangement of stone up ahead.

Jay scrambled a few yards over to find a real flight of stone stairs leading all the way to the top where—Jay stood still, shocked—there was a large, ruined building carved into the topmost part of the mountain. The rain was coming down in torrents now, soaking him to the skin.

He looked up longingly at the temple above him, then turned back to the valley down below. He could either wait out the storm in the temple or the scraggly forest. So he turned and began walking upwards.

As he climbed, the wind seemed to be getting stronger, and the rain came down harder. He was barely able to keep his feet on the slippery stone after a certain point, and very nearly tried to duck for cover underneath some trees, but he stopped when he thought he heard something that definitely was not the wind.

"Shut up you lazy bag of bones! Are you saying you can't stand against a little wind?"

Suddenly flashes of the glacier sprang to Jay's mind, and he could feel the cold metal at his throat again. And when he turned around, sure enough, there he was leading another group of Skulkens up the mountain. But that could only mean that this was the location of the Golden Nunchucks. The Sky Temple, was it? He hadn't been paying very close attention to Wu.

"WhatdoIdo? WhatdoIdo?" he quietly muttered to himself.

The temple was the only place he could hide, so he bolted for it with all the strength he had left. The force of the wind nearly knocked him over a few times, but he kept his balance out of sheer fear of falling towards those monsters.

The temple itself was very old and mostly fallen apart. Large stairs and pillars had chunks missing entirely, and many walls had collapsed. Much of the ceiling was still where it ought to be, although it looked as though this storm might be the very thing to send it all crashing down.

There weren't many places to hide, but perhaps the soldiers wouldn't notice him if they were only here for the weapon. There was a side room that didn't look very important and Jay did not waste a second trying to conceal himself there.

The temple doors opened with a sickening _crrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaaakkkkkk _and he could hear their heavy footsteps and clinking metal armour as they passed through the main foyer. He held his breath, which he found rather hard to do as his heart was pounding, demanding more oxygen, and his face grew sweaty under his mask. It sounded like the Skulkens were heading into another part of the temple, their footsteps slowly faded away; their gruff voices being drowned out by the sound of the rain and thunder.

Now he was sure that they were gone and he let out some of his heavy gasps for air. The only thing left to decide on would be if he was willing to chance that this was still the safest place to be and stay, or head down the mountain as fast as his legs could carry him. He would've preferred to stay where he was, but he had no idea if it was truly safe. What if the Skulkens found him there?

Jay leaned over to peek around the stone wall into the foyer to see if the coast was clear and found a cracked, ivory skull staring straight at him with lifeless red eyes. A bolt of lightning peeled across the sky and thunder rumbled so loud that it shook the temple as Jay sat, paralysed.

"Well, well, well," the Skulken said, amused.

Jay sprang back as quickly as possible and backed himself up against another stone wall as the soldier tried to move closer to him.

"If it isn't the little runt. Where's dear old Sensei Wu? And your friends?" the skeleton went on. He reached down and grabbed Jay by the collar. "Are they nearby? Where are they!?" He shook Jay hard as he said it and the poor boy thought that might vomit.

"I don't know," Jay choked. "I'm... alone!"

"You expect me to believe that?" the skeleton replied. He slung Jay over his shoulder and began walking toward his squadron. The captain was livid when he saw Jay and began questioning him like the soldier had, but Jay didn't know how to answer.

"If the runt wont talk, we'll make him talk. We can't afford any more surprise attacks from those whimpering milksops," said the Captain and he turned to face Jay with his sword drawn. Jay was being held tightly in the arms of one of the soldiers and as the Captain came closer, the soldier exposed Jay's right arm. "Tell me what I want to know or I'll slice your arm off!" The blade of his sword came to rest on Jay's forearm and he began to silently pray for deliverance.

"Please, I don't know anything! You have to believe me! I came here by myself! Please! I swear I'm telling the truth! Please! Please! I swear!" Jay cried.

"Lies!" screamed the captain, and his sword flew through the air, but just as it began to pierce Jay's skin it was sent flying across the room by a tendril of water.

"Let him go, ugly!"

Jay turned and saw the others, all of them, standing at the entrance of the temple. Ann was the first to charge, and she led with taking out the captain with a long-distance water attack, followed by close up attacks of the other soldiers with her bow staff. Cole came next, barrelling his way through the crowd with his earth powers until he came to the Skulken who was holding Jay and threw a large boulder at his head, subsequently knocking him over. But when he hit the ground, Jay was still very much in his arms.

"Take one step closer," the soldier croaked as he sat upright, "and the runt loses an eye." He swiftly produced a silver dagger from his belt and held it dangerously close to Jay's face.

Another round of thunder sent the whole mountain top shivering and Jay could hear the stone beginning to crack. He looked up and saw a large chunk of the wall was falling over and with what little strength he had in him he cried out, "I am not a runt!" and pushed off against the ground bringing the skeleton with him. As they tumbled they went directly under the falling bricks. Jay had timed it just right, but he closed his eyes in fear of the worst. When he heard the sounds of bones being crushed and felt the arms of the skeleton go limp he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Nice one!" Cole cheered as he rushed to his side. He dragged him quickly to a corner of the room, away from the fighting and he frowned when he noticed the cut on his arm. "You're hurt," he said.

"It's fine," Jay replied. "Only a scratch." He ripped off the hem of his shozoku and used it as a bandage around the cut. "How did you guys find me?"

"You'd be surprised how the wind can carry certain, uh, loud voices to Keaton," he smiled. Suddenly another soldier came flying into the wall next to them, making the whole building shudder. "Quick! We gotta get you to the weapon chamber before this place collapses!"

"No! We can't!" Jay blurted in a panic.

"Why not?" Cole asked.

Jay fiddled with his torn hem for a few moments and stuttered profusely.

"You guys gotta get out of here!" Keaton yelled across the room as she blew three soldiers away. "The weapon should be at the top of the building!"

"She's right, come on!" said Cole and he grabbed Jay's good arm to pull him up.

"But what if I'm not the Master of Lightning?!" Jay finally said. Cole stopped and looked at him. His eyes were terrified and his breath was rapid. "If I'm not, then the weapon... it could—"

"Jay, listen to me," Cole said as he grabbed both his shoulders. "Being afraid will only stop you from knowing who you really are."

"But—"

"Trust me. You'll be okay."

There was another rumble of thunder and a great burst of wind which sent a good deal of the ceiling down on top of them.

"Well maybe we should be okay somewhere else!" Jay shrieked as they both tumbled out of danger. "You alright?" he asked looking up at his companion.

"I will be," he replied. "As soon as you get your butt up to the weapon!" He took a wide stance then made a chunk of earth under Jay's feet send him flying up to the top level. He landed hard in a wet heap and felt like he would surely be bruised after this. The entire top was gone except for the floor.

"You got this, Jay!" Cole called. He couldn't see him, but knowing he was near did help.

The noise of the rain, the thunder, the fighting, was all drowned out when Jay laid eyes on the Nunchucks. They sat on a broken down pedestal reflecting any light that would grace it's smooth surface. He got up slowly and inched closer to them with unbearable dread.

"Jay! What are you waiting for?!" Kai screamed.

"I know you'd like to think we can handle things down here—"

"There are A LOT of soldiers!"

"Jay! Hurry!"

He looked back down and could see the others on the first floor through the many, growing holes in the building's structure. They needed him. _They _needed _him._ There was only one thing he needed to do.

But perhaps there was something else nearby he could use to grab hold of it and—

"AHHH!" Jay screamed as a Skulken sprang up behind him.

"That weapon shall be claimed in the name of Lord Garmadon!" he cried.

Jay was already much closer to the pedestal, so in the heat of the moment he gave a desperate battle cry and leapt for the Nunchucks without a second thought.

Jays fingers wrapped around the cold metal and suddenly everything changed. It felt like the weapon was attacking him, shooting lightning up his arms and up into his head. Goosebumps rippled has skin and he could feel a burning from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes.

"STOOOOOP!" he screamed. "AAAAAAHHHH! IT'S TOO MUCH!"

Bright light was flashing all around him, and there was a constant roaring that deafened his ears. He felt his heart beat faster than a war drum, his muscles grew fatigued, his head was throbbing all over with a massive headache, and he couldn't let go of the Nunchucks.

"STOOOP!" he screamed again. Then the bright light retreated and the noise grew so quiet that he wondering if perhaps he really had gone deaf. Jay opened his eyes and everything looked different and still. The raindrops hung frozen in mid-air, the leaves in the wind were blurry but they were also hardly moving, and the Skulken had yet to reach him, even though he was a mere seven feet away. The colours seemed brighter and the air smelled richer. From the top of the temple Jay thought that he could see very clearly for miles and miles. But the most spectacular thing was the lightning. No longer did it flash across the sky, random and fleeting, but it slithered down toward him in brilliant ribbons of light. Several such ribbons came to him and Jay breathlessly reached out his hand to meet them. When his fingers, shaky and wet, touched the tip of the lightning bolt it sent a thrum of warmth up his arm and made his heart leap. It changed its course and followed Jay's fingers until it was twisting its way up his arm, and the other bolts did the same. It was a magnificent feeling, to say the least, but the most extraordinary thing about it was the distinct feeling that he could hear the voices of the energy itself. It spoke rapidly and boldly. It didn't care where it went or for how long it stayed, it merely was, and it was grateful to follow Jay anywhere he led it. The ribbons of light finally found their destination and lunged for his heart, leaping inside of it and taking his breath away. In the next moment Jay was on his knees, clutching his chest and the rain was falling again.

"NOOO!" the Skulken soldier shrieked and charged at him. Jay turned abruptly and shot out his hand instinctively. A bolt of lighting collided down from the sky and the skeleton was vaporised where he stood, leaving nothing but flying bits of metal and bone.

Jay's eyes were wide with unbridled fear and exhilaration. He had sent out a call... and the lightning had answered. Then he smiled. When he stood he looked up at the sky and felt the storm all around him. Hot and cold air currents colliding into chaotic energy sent flashes across the sky. It wasn't just light and noise, it was a beautiful dance accompanied by loud, rumbling music.

Then he heard the sound of his friends down below and remembered that he needed to help. He took a step forward and immediately fell over. Perhaps the activation of his powers had been more draining than he thought. He got up again and attempted more carefully to jump down to the first level and he did so accompanied by several more bolts of blinding blue light. He sent it colliding with the soldiers, telling it to jump from head to head and not to stop until all of them were gone, but to leave his friends alone. The next moment the rain was washing away the remaining smoke and the fighting was over.

"Jay!" Cole cried as he rushed over. "Jay what happened to you?!"

"Your, like, as tall as me," Kai noticed with wide eyes.

"I am?" Jay frowned. He looked down at himself and saw that his shozoku didn't quite fit right anymore, and he was eye level with Kai. "That's kinda... weird..." Jay's eyes went blurry and his legs felt weak, but Cole caught him before he fell and lowered him safely to the ground.

"Jay, are you all right?" Master Wu asked and he lifted his chin to get a good look at his face.

"I feel... amazing! But... really tired," Jay replied, his head rolling a bit. "And sore... and, ugh... dizzy."

Wu checked his pulse and felt his forehead and did a few other things to check up on his pupil before Ann piped up. "Sensei, how is this possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he replied.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked.

"Jay just grew at least half a foot taller. The weapons don't alter physical states like this unless they're used together," Ann explained. "This doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah... I was wondering about that," said Jay in a dazed sort of way and then his eyelids dropped and he felt his body grow too heavy for him to hold up any longer and he fell completely limp. After that it wasn't long before he was fast asleep.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Growth Spurt

"_Urghein un gugoonch lie... ierrung jerll key... Jay..."_

"_Jay... such a sweet little thing..."_

"_...too weak to move..."_

"_He should be fine..."_

"_Rest... be safe..."_

Jay couldn't tell if he had been dreaming or if he had been fading in and out of consciousness. Whichever the case, he was now beginning to wake up and he thought he could hear the others talking nearby.

The air was warm and humid and he could feel a gentle breeze play with the ends of his hair while birds chirped overhead. Yes, he was safe now, after... after the temple... the storm and the Skulkens and the Nunchucks and the lightning!

His eyes were open at once and he looked around. Another forest stood above him and the sun made it clear that it was afternoon. But he remembered all that had happened—that he had discovered his powers—and he was far too excited to remain asleep. He propped himself up and slowly felt his muscles scream out in defiance. It was then that he really saw how much he had grown. His legs definitely looked longer and when he sat up he felt taller, but he was also more toned. He wouldn't say "muscular" but his arms did seem a tad more defined now than they had been before.

"Jay's awake!" Keaton said gleefully.

"Don't move," said Wu coming over. He squatted beside him and handed him a canteen full of cold rain water. "Drink," he said firmly.

The water felt good on his dry throat and it tasted, for whatever reason, exceptionally good. Before long the remaining dizziness he felt subsided.

"How are you feeling?" asked Cole who sat next to him.

"Well..." Jay said and he thought for a moment. "A little... odd... but good, too. Definitely sore. But mostly good."

"You should still rest," said Ann who was standing stiffly off to the side.

"Way to be excited for golden weapon number three," Jay said sarcastically.

"There's no reason to celebrate until all the weapons are secure," she replied.

"Aw, come on! Not even a smile?" Jay pressed with a smirk.

She cocked an eyebrow but didn't necessarily scowl, then began to walk away.

"She's really gotta loosen up," Kai said. Jay noticed that Keaton looked suddenly very sheepish.

"Might I remind you that Ann is my top pupil," said Wu scrupulously. "And you would be wise to heed her suggestion, young Jay." Jay shrunk back a bit but he still silently held to his belief that Ann was a bit too uptight. "Now perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what you were doing at the Sky Temple last night?" Wu's stare was perhaps the most terrifying stare he had ever been subjugated to.

His mind instantly went back to the other night, recalling all the misfortune he had endured with Butterscotch and then his mysterious ally. But how could he tell this story in front of everyone without insulting them, even a little? It was bad enough that he had tried to leave in the first place, but now he needed to confess that to the very people whom he had tried to escape from.

Wu must have noticed Jay's troubled expression and he told everyone to leave them for a moment. Jay breathed in heavy breaths of shame before he began.

"I… thought that you had made a mistake, Sensei… about me. It just seemed… like… like I was too different. And I hadn't used my powers before, but Cole, Kai, and Zane had, so I assumed… I guess I was afraid of what would happen if I really wasn't the Master of Lightning." Wu listened intently and stroked his beard, deep in thought. "So I… I decided to run away before anything else could happen."

"I'm sorry. I should have been more vigilant with you." Wu closed his eyes and turned away slightly as he spoke. "But I hope the events of yesterday cleared away many of your concerns?" Jay nodded slightly and then Wu frowned. "And you happened to find yourself at the Sky Temple the next morning, did you?"

"Well, yes and no. You see, something scared Butterscotch and she went nuts. We were lost and running through the woods crazy fast, and then I got hit by something and I fell, and the next thing I remember was waking up near the base of the mountain."

Wu's brow furrowed even deeper with concern. "Was there someone else there?" he asked.

Jay strained to remember. "Y-yes," he said slowly. "At least I think so. When I woke up there was a bandage on my nose and I was in a completely different place." His head began to feel tight with pain and he reached up to grab his throbbing temples.

"What's wrong?" Wu asked as he reached for Jay's head as well.

"A headache," Jay replied. "Just a headache."

"Perhaps you should lay down."

A sound suddenly floated through Jay's brain, as if it had come from a dream.

"_O… ckheger… ugg… toolihee?" _Jay whispered.

"What?" said Wu, suddenly sounding very alarmed. "What did you say?"

Jay looked up. "I'm not sure… I think… I think I heard someone say it… or maybe it was just a dream? It doesn't sound like any language I've ever heard."

Wu regained his composure quickly and looked very stoic as he sat in silence for a moment or two. "Perhaps it was just a dream. Nothing to be concerned over. Rest now."

Jay watched his teacher get up and walk over to a small grove of trees where he began to, Jay assumed, meditate. The interaction left a queazy feeling in his stomach though, and he would not soon forget it.

Evening came faster than expected and Jay remained on his mat all throughout dinner. Afterwards, to commemorate the securing of three of the weapons, Wu revealed that he had brought pudding with him for the journey. Ann and Kai said they didn't want any, but everyone else had a fantastic time eating their dessert and chatting. Jay, however, was never completely part of the conversation. There was a part of him that was still extremely anxious to see what his new body and powers could do, and before long an idea began to float around his head.

Eventually everyone went to sleep but Jay who was lying on his mat, impatiently wiggling his leg while his chest thrummed with anticipation. He wasn't going to try running away again, but he did want some privacy, so he only moved when he was sure that no one else was conscious.

Getting up on longer legs was much more difficult than Jay had imagined and he fell over almost instantly. His muscles also felt very sore and very tight. They would shake so badly that he was forced to lean on any nearby tree he could as he slowly made his way into the woods. Soon he found a small glade where moonlight poured down and covered every blade of grass in a thin veil of pale mist. Jay turned around and thought he could just make out the fire's glow through the trees. He wasn't too far away, and he wouldn't be gone long.

Barefoot and shaky, he stepped out into the open expanse with childlike enthusiasm and held up his hands to chest-level. He sent out a silent call and waited. To his dismay, nothing happened. He thought hard for a moment then realised that he had been holding the nunchucks before, so perhaps he needed to work extra hard to make this work on his own. He closed his eyes and tried to feel the electrons and protons around him and did his best to visualise in his mind what he wanted them to do.

After a few embarrassingly awkward moments of this he began to mutter, "Come on!" over and over again until suddenly—

POP!

There was a flash of light and Jay had definitely felt a surge of energy, but it disappeared before he could really see it, and the shock nearly knocked him over. However, he wasn't going to let this deter him. He closed his eyes and tried again, promising that he would focus even more this time. Again, he tried to feel the electrons and protons, attempting to unbalance them, picturing a lightning bolt shooting from his hands, and—

POP!

This time he _had _fallen over and as he was lying on the grass, feeling his back grow cold and damp, he stared angrily up at the sky. He still wasn't going to give up, though. He could do this, he knew he could. He just needed to get up again and—

"You're over thinking it."

"Ah!" Jay squealed as he fell over a second time, surprised by the sound of Cole's voice.

He came over to him and offered Jay his hand. When he was back on his feet Cole said, "Trying to think about our powers scientifically doesn't always work. There's a lot more to it than that." He widened his stance and closed his eyes. "I remember when I first tried to use my powers... I thought that it must have had something to do with tectonic plates or the earth's core, or something like that, it was a long time ago. But eventually I figured it out. There's a connection you have to make. You can't just tell it what to do, you have to listen to it." He raised his arms and a large boulder erupted from the soil. Cole broke it up into half a dozen smaller rocks and sent each one flying across the field until it hit the ground again; about twenty yards.

Jay looked on and felt his chest tighten with determination. Cole was already so good at using his powers. He needed to work hard if he wanted to be as useful as he was on the battlefield.

He closed his eyes and put his hands out, palm side up, trying his best to listen. Whatever he was listening for, it wasn't very loud, but he remembered how it had sounded at the temple, and he tried his best to wait for it to come to him. Then an idea hit him: the air of the storm that night was extremely "talkative" for lack of a better word. Every aspect of the storm had been saying something, so then maybe his powers had more to do with the basic idea of weather than protons and electrons. Jay shifted his attention to the air around him, to the atmosphere, the wisps of cloud overhead, the waves of heat and cold colliding in and outside of his body.

ZZzzzzzzzaaaAAAAAPPP!

Jay opened his eyes quickly and saw bright blue tendrils of light wriggling all over his hands, some of which exploded into what looked like mini lightning, shooting away from him, and creating a semi loud cracking sound. But the warmth and tingling sensation he felt was the best part of all. There was no way he could explain it except to say that it felt "right."

"Woah," Cole breathed as he stood and gaped at Jay's glowing hands.

They both smiled and Jay looked up at a tree a short way away. He whipped out his right hand, attempting to shoot the tree with lighting, but the moment he did the electricity sputtered out, leaving only faint sparks sailing to the ground and disappearing.

"Aw, come on!" Jay whined.

"Ninjago City wasn't built in a day, you know," said Cole casually.

"Yeah, but they were laying bricks every hour," Jay replied, still staring at the tree. He sighed. "I know our powers are different, but do you think there's anything else you could show me?" Cole gave a half smile.

The two of them continued to train for at least an hour under the cover of darkness and Cole did his best to teach Jay everything he knew about his powers. Progress was slow, as one might expect, but by the end of it Jay was able to summon and maintain the electricity around his hands for a decent amount of time, not to mention all of the discoveries they made about his new body. Before, Jay would have been lucky to lift maybe seventy pounds, but out in the glade he found that moving a large log, easily over a hundred pounds, was on par with picking up a heavy grocery bag. Unfortunately he shouldn't have tried to use his new muscles so soon and woke up the next morning in quite a lot of pain.

"I warned you about overworking yourself," said Ann in her usual flat voice. She was looking down at Jay disapprovingly as she packed his things for him.

"Look, I'll be fine. Another day of resting and I'll be ready for action!" Jay said confidently from his mat.

"Yes, but in the meantime you're dead weight. Remember how easily you and Kai got captured in the Frozen Wastelands? If you had any real training you would have been able to take care of yourselves." She looked up at Sensei Wu, who was standing with the horses far off, as she spoke that last part. "This isn't a game. I assumed that your fearful behaviour over the last few days showed that you had some sense in that thick skull of yours, but your new powers seem to have made you cocky."

"I know this isn't a game," Jay said indignantly.

"Then prove it," Ann replied. "Rest."

She slung Jay's things over her shoulder and left to strap them onto her own horse—the horse they'd be sharing now that Butterscotch was missing.

Jay's attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of angry muttering next to him. Kai was wrestling to get his mat rolled up and did not look to be in a good mood. He noticed Jay staring just then and his frown deepened.

"What?" he asked in almost a growl.

"Nothing," said Jay quietly and he turned away quickly. Some morning this turned out to be. But despite it all, Jay felt very optimistic about the future. He had his powers, he had his friends, and he had a mission. Nothing had too wrong so far, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Right?


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

A Meeting with the Messenger

The journey had been long, tiring, frustrating, frightening, and impactful, but Kai had a one-track-mind, and he wouldn't be able to sleep right until he finished it. Naturally the thing that was annoying him most of all was how long this trip had taken them. If this was so important, why not just take the train? Or have Army personnel fly them out in a helicopter? And just why did they need to keep their powers secret? Kai didn't trust Wu, not one bit. He was sure that the old man was keeping far too many secrets from them, and either he was going find out what they were, or he wasn't going to stick around.

Nya. He needed to focus on Nya. Her safety was the only thing on his mind and it was what kept him going every day. That and Wu's warning. Which was why he was so anxious right now. He fiddled with the reins as he and the others rode on down another long-forgotten trail through the countryside and tried to keep from exploding about how slow they were going.

They had slowly been heading south, closer and closer to Garmadon's territory, which began to make Kai wonder if the dark lord had already captured the Sword of Fire. That despicable worm! If it turned out that that cad had indeed gotten his filthy hands on it, Kai would be unleashing his full, unbridled furry down on him and all of the dark creatures in his company. It didn't matter if he was supposedly the "incarnation of evil itself," or the wielder of destruction. Nothing was going to stop Kai from getting Nya and his parents back. Nothing.

"Bathroom break!" Jay cried.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kai yelled. "Again?!"

"What can I say? I think my bladder was just about the only thing that didn't grow," Jay replied.

Everyone sighed in frustration as Jay clumsily slid from his and Ann's horse and ducked behind a few nearby boulders. They were standing next to a large field of wheat on their right, and a steep hill to their left. It was a spot Kai remembered visiting when he was very little, before the war. Now the field was twice as big and being worked twice as hard. Nothing strips land bare quite like war, Kai noted.

"Jay, hurry up! I thought you said your bladder was tiny!" Kai yelled, feeling like the war might be over before Jay was done.

"It is!" Jay yelled back.

"Then how can you possibly pee that much?" Kai retorted.

"Kai, enough," said Wu, firmly but gently. "If you're going to have patience with important things you must first learn patience with small things."

Kai frowned and resisted the urge to make a snarky reply. Wasn't he already being patient? Hadn't he willingly let himself get dragged along for weeks to retrieve the three other weapons? He was patient. Wu was probably just annoyed with him and wanted quiet.

After a few seconds they were moving again, but as the day wore on, Kai was beginning to feel as though his suspicions about the weapon being in Garmadon's territory were correct. By nightfall they were still going, and the boarder was getting dangerously close.

"We camp here for the night," said Wu firmly as they stood in a large field surrounded by a handful of scattered trees.

"Sensei," Kai called, jumping off of his horse and running up to the old master while everyone else stretched their sore bodies and began unpacking. Wu turned to look at him with a worried sort of look. "Sensei, how much farther?"

Wu sighed, knowing exactly what kind of conversation lay in wait for him. "The journey will be only one more day. Yes, we will be heading over the boarder," said Wu, before Kai could even open his mouth. "Yes, I am afraid that the sword may very well be in Garmadon's hands. But rest assured that I do have a plan."

"Really?" Kai folded his arms sceptically.

"Do not question your Sensei, young one. Now go and help your brothers and sisters unpack," Wu said sternly.

"We may all be training under you, _Sensei, _but they are _not _my brothers," Kai said in a low, stern sort of way, then walked away angrily. He kept on walking, past the others and the bags and horses, out into the open field. He didn't need to unpack right now, he could do that later. Besides, he wanted to be alone.

"Brothers... pfft," he muttered, stomping in the grass. "We barely even know each other." He stopped and looked up at the fading sun and remembered many summer evenings like this, where he and his father would be out on the porch roasting pork on the grill while his mother and Nya were inside preparing fresh watermelon. Afterwards he and Nya would play tag, or tease each other, or both, and then they would all have dinner together outdoors and watch the fireflies. All he wanted was to have his family back—his _real _family—so that they could continue to make those memories. He had to remain strong for them, and he couldn't get distracted, even if his heart ached.

Suddenly his eye caught something dark moving among the tall grass and he did a double take, but the moment he blinked it was gone. He began walking over to where he thought he had seen it when he was stopped by a voice.

"Kai," said Ann somewhere behind him. "You've been out here far too long, and dinner's ready."

Kai locked his jaw in defiance and refused to acknowledge her existence.

"Kai," Ann warned. "Back to camp now, or face disciplinary action."

He turned sharply and glared at her. She glared back. Eventually Kai relented.

"Okay, fine, Snape," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" Ann replied, clearly more confused than insulted.

"Snape," Kai replied. Ann stared blankly. "You don't get out much, do you?" he asked as they started walking.

"No, every elite ninja warrior trained since childhood is exposed to pop culture." She looked away from him as she said it, bitterly and sarcastically.

Kai didn't know how to respond, and frankly he didn't want to, so they were silent until they were back at camp, the moon shining down around them all.

"Ah, Kai, Ann, there you are," said Wu as the two of them sat down among the others. "We must discuss our plans. Just beyond this field lies the border of our territory, meaning that, should we attempt to retrieve the Sword of Fire, we will be in far greater danger than in previous battles. The squadrons we've fought thus far have been small, covert groups which have been ludicrously successful in sneaking over our boarders. From here on in, it will be too dangerous to involve most of you."

"What?!" The boys all cried.

"Only Zane, Ann, and Kai may accompany me further," Wu continued.

"But Sensei," Cole began.

"No 'buts,' Cole," said Wu. "You, Jay and Keaton will begin heading back in the morning to a safe place and await our return. The rest of us will carry on until we reach the Temple of Fire."

"And what if Garmadon already has the weapon?" Kai asked sullenly.

"Then I am afraid that we may need to think of a new plan." Wu's head hung low and he stoked the newborn fire in front of him.

Kai clenched his jaw in defiance. That wasn't good enough. "Why can't we just use the other three Golden Weapons?"

"Because they are too powerful," answered Wu. He looked up at the young boy harshly. "I know what you're thinking, but it will not work. Patience is the only key to victory."

"Well what if you miss your chance because you had your eyes shut tight waiting?" Kai challenged, narrowing his eyes.

"A fool has no problems save the ones he brings upon himself."

Kai didn't dare say another word, but he looked on indignantly. Once again he could see the wisdom of Sensei Wu's words, but he didn't want to hear them. Nor did he hear another word that was spoken that night. He was determined to tune out every word, every sentence, and substituted it for his own inner dialogue which was far more harsh.

Later, when everyone had gone to sleep and then boys were all laying quietly on their sleeping mats, Kai heard Jay tossing and turning violently next to him.

"What do you guys think Lord Garmadon is like?" Jay suddenly asked.

"I don't know, shut up and go to sleep," Kai muttered.

Jay sighed. "I can't! Do you think he's really as bad as everyone makes him sound? Like, does he really use the bones of his victims as robes?"

"It's probably just propaganda, Jay," Cole said groggily. "Go back to sleep."

"…do you think his skin really is the color of heartlessness?"

"Jay!" Kai whisper cried.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that we are literally on the boarder of the territory belonging to _the most evil guy on the planet!_ Doesn't that make you a little uneasy?" Jay asked.

Kai thought about it for a minute, and for once the weight that Garmadon's name carried hit him like a wet pillow, but he quickly shrugged it off. No one, not even _Lord Garmadon _was going to stop him, so there was no use worrying about it.

For a while there was silence.

"…do you think he really has fangs?"

"Oh my gosh, Jay!" Kai nearly cried. He was finally awake now and couldn't take much more of this endless jabbering, so he scooped up his blanket to protect him from the chilly night air and went for a walk. The yellow-green grass bent and rustled under his feet as he walked and a stiff breeze sprang up around him the farther he went. At one point, he stopped and looked around. This was the place where he had seen the strange silhouette earlier, he realised. There was nothing around nearby except a lone white oak tree that rustled angrily against the wind. Between the noises of the tree and the grass, Kai thought that perhaps he could hear something moving past what he could see. But when the darkness proved too thick, and the moonlight proved too pale, he lifted a hand from under his blanket and attempted to light a small flame. Once the flame, which was surprisingly easy to conjure, began to peel back the blackness Kai received quite the start when part of that blackness still remained in the shape of a man five feet in front of him. Kai took a step back and his flame grew larger and wilder.

"Who are you?" he demanded to know. The cloaked figure only stared at him.

"I am but a humble messenger," the stranger replied in a raspy whisper. When he breathed in it sounded gravely and sent chills up Kai's spine despite his warm flame still flapping in the breeze.

"What's your message?" Kai asked, somewhat intrigued but still very defensive.

"Hold your horses, I'm getting to it!" The figure retorted angrily. He breathed in dramatically again. "Lord Garmadon wishes to meet with you at the Temple of Fire tonight. Bring the Golden Weapons or don't come at all, and in exchange… he's willing to give you back your family. Come alone. Be there or be sqaaaaaare….." And as he spoke, the wind seemed to carry him away like smoke.

Despite the fact that the messenger was clearly a simpleton, Kai was most assuredly shaken after this encounter and he stood there in the field for a long time. He should have been more careful with his words. Was he truly willing to do _anything _to get his family back? Including betray his friends, his Sensei, and his country? New thoughts started to come to him; thoughts that made him sick and want to forget all about the meeting with the messenger. But now it was too late to forget.

He turned back to the camp and the wind picked up again, hiding his footsteps as he drew closer. Was he seriously considering this?

The Golden Weapons sat where they always did: glued to Jay, Zane, and Cole. They carried them all day and slept with them at night to ensure that they would never lose track of them. The blankets they were wrapped in blocked out all light emanating from the golden masterpieces, but Kai knew they were there; silently taunting him.

He sat down in the grass and quickly sorted through his options. On one hand he could follow Wu into the hands of an enemy who already knew they were here—they were waiting for them—and most likely never get even close to the sword of fire, and on the other hand he could steal the other weapons, give them to Lord Garmadon, and save his own skin while everyone else suffered for his actions. Neither one seemed desirable in the slightest. He could go to Wu and tell him about the messenger and how Garmadon knew they were coming—by all accounts he should—but the offer the King of Darkness was making was so tempting. Realistically, though, he should expect some form of double-cross anyway, but this was potentially the only way he was ever going to get close to the Sword. He finally made up his mind, but he wasn't going in without a plan.

Covered by the sound of the wind, Kai patiently waited for his companions to fall fast asleep and then, at perhaps one in the morning, he quietly and very carefully lifted the Nunchucks, Daggers, and Scythe away from their owners and strapped them onto his back. Now he needed to consider his horse, Thunder. Jay had attempted this, but what the foolish Master of Lightning did not know was that the sound of Butterscotch taking off in the middle of the night had, in fact, woken up Wu, and they had been on Jay's tail for most of the night. A horse would greatly enhance his chances of making a clean getaway, but if that night was an indicator of anything, he better not risk waking anyone up.

Kai stepped backward into the darkness, weapons strapped tightly to his back, and watched his friends sleep peacefully in the firelight. This was crazy. This was insane. But this was the only way. He turned and started walking south, toward his home, toward his family, and toward certain catastrophe.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Kai's Betrayal

The only major change that Kai noticed when he finally did cross the border half an hour later was the fact that it was getting warmer and more humid. But perhaps that was from the sweat he was working up as he adjusted the heavy weapons on his back. He tried not to feel how heavy each of his footsteps were, not just with physical weight, but also with the weight of what he was doing. Not a second went by that he wasn't constantly checking over his shoulder to make sure that the others hadn't woken up and were following him. He had a plan. This would benefit everyone. This would work.

The Fire Temple was a large, mostly stone, building carved into a volcano. The dark bricks were painted with red murals and banners that looked fairly weathered, but compared to the Sky Temple it looked to be in pretty good shape. A great staircase, similar to the one at the Sky Temple, led up to the front entrance, but thankfully if was not quite as far up. There were statues of dragons that accompanied the staircase all the way up to the large, dark doors, chiseled with astounding detail. The volcano itself sat out in the middle of nowhere beside a lake, and in the dim morning light the torches which hung from the dragon statues' mouths looked very foreboding.

Kai crested a hill and saw all of this from a distance. He could see Skulkens soldiers down below and said to himself, "I hope you know what you're doing," before he commanded his legs to go forward.

When he finally did arrive, perhaps at four in the morning, maybe five, just as the sky was lighting up with pale sunbeams, he was greeted by a proper-sized legion of Skulkens. They all jeered and stared are him as he walked passed but they did not attack. In fact, they backed away when he drew near and created a path for him up to the temple stairs. There must have been several hundred of them outside alone, with no telling how many were inside.

'_This is it,' _Kai thought as he ascended the stairs. '_No turning back.'_

A thousand red eyes followed him as he slowly stepped up to the front doors and grabbed the massive, brass handles. He bit his lip and pulled hard, taking a deep breath as he braced himself for whatever was on the other side of this door.

There was a large, red foyer in front of him, but no one inside. As he slowly stepped in, however, he noticed light coming from another room across from him. The door was left slightly open and waves of heat oozed out from it. Inside, the room was a furnace heated by streams of lava which surrounded a main path culminating in a small pedestal where the Sword of Fire sat proudly in the warm light. Kai peered over the edge of the walkway and, even though the lava was a long way down, he felt his eyes sting and grow dry. Pulling away, he directed his attention once again to the sword.

"_Well, well, well..."_

The voice was low and very smooth, but it did not provoke feelings of comfort. If anything, it made Kai's skin crawl and his hairs stand on end.

"_So the rumours are true... Wu has assembled the Elemental Masters..."_

It was impossible to tell where the voice was coming from, which left Kai turning in circles. He pulled out a regular dagger and held it firmly, but it was hard not to notice that his hand was shaking.

"Where's my family?" he cried. His voice bounced off the walls and left a surprisingly loud echo.

"_My, my, so impatient... what would dear Sensei Wu say?"_

"Give it a rest, whoever you are! I have the weapons! Now give me back my family!"

"_Whoever I am?" _

Kai silently gulped and felt sweat trickle down his neck when he turned around to see a shadow of a man towering over him. He was very tall, with a grotesque, misshapen face full of sharp teeth and red eyes that glowed like the lava beneath them. His skin was the colour of tar, his samurai armour was polished and sharp, but the most disturbing thing about him was his extra pair of arms that stuck out from the side of his rib cage—or at least, where his rib cage should have been.

He gave a sickening chuckle. "Now, don't get scared, Kai. You were doing so well."

"L-Lord Garmadon," Kai breathed.

"Oh, you're very quick, aren't you?" The Dark Lord went on, amused.

Watching Garmadon closely, Kai very carefully untied his pack and dropped the weapons at his feet.

"Here," he said and breathed in deeply. "Now give me my family."

Garmadon looked down and then snapped his fingers. Two Skulkens eagerly rushing forward from the foyer and scooped up the parcels before scurrying away with them. Then he turned back to Kai. He began walking toward him and Kai, not knowing what else to do, edged away from him until he was very close to the pedestal. "I'm afraid my messenger left out a tiny detail. You see, the lava down below—this whole temple, really—has been warming that sword so long that it burns to the touch." Kai took a quick glance at weapon, half of its blade submerged in the stone of its display. "None of my guards can even get it to budge before their hands begin to burn away. But a fire elemental? Well... as long as you use your powers correctly, you should be fine."

"You said—"

"Ah, ah, ah," said Garmadon, wagging his black finger in the air. As he spoke, the most sickening sound Kai had ever heard tore through the air like a hot knife.

"AAAAAHHHH! KAI!"

Nya's scream was clear and bloodcurdling. When he finally spotted her, she was hanging by a rope and dangling over the lava trench behind the Sword. She was wearing dirty, plain linens and her hair was unkept and frizzy.

"Nya!" Kai cried. Their panicked eyes met and nearly filled with tears.

"Get me that sword, or your dear sister will join the Departed," Garmadon said cooly.

Kai already had one foot forward when he stopped and looked around. The rope Nya was hanging from lead up to a balcony high above them and he could just make out three or so Skulkens standing there, awaiting the order to drop the girl. He turned and peered passed Garmadon, all the way to foyer, but he still didn't see what he was looking for.

"Have you got cotton in your ears, boy?" Lord Garmadon quipped. "Your sister's life is hanging by a very non-metaphorical thread."

"Where are my parents?" Kai asked suddenly, and he glared bravely at Garmadon's cold eyes.

"You do think very highly of yourself, don't you?" the warlord mused.

"You said you'd give me my _family _back!" Kai was shouting now, and he didn't intend to back down. "Where are they?!"

"I would hold my tongue if I were you, boy!" Garmadon snarled, his yellow teeth twisted in a frown. "You dare demand anything from me when you've already given up your most valuable bargaining chip?" He gave a cold laugh and forced Kai back against the pedestal. "The Golden Weapons belong to me, now. Give me the Sword, or your sister dies. Then maybe once I've knocked some sense into that thick skull of yours, we can talk about dear old mom and dad."

"Kai! Don't do it!" Nya shrieked, obviously terrified. "It's okay!"

Kai turned around and looked her in the eye. "No," he said quietly. "No it isn't." He had only one chance to make everything right.

"Don't try anything stupid," said Garmadon.

"Too late!" Kai replied. He leapt upon the sword and heaved with all his might, both hands wrapped firmly around the golden handle. The Sword slid from the stone easily, trailing flames behind it, and he sprang from the pedestal toward Nya who had begun to free fall. Kai used the sword to cut the rope around her, but they were both falling now, closer and closer to the lava.

Kai wrapped his left arm around his sister, and she clung to him tightly, but in his other hand, the Sword began to draw his attention. It was pulsing very brightly, as if it was trying to say something. With all that was happening, and the overwhelming elemental awareness that the Weapon brought to him, Kai felt more like a marionette being pulled by invisible strings. He raised the Sword forward and—

SPLOSH!

They had hit molten rock. Garmadon starred down in disbelief and gave a ferocious roar of anguish. "Curse the name of Rayson!" he spat. "Men! Begin to siphon the lava into a separate chamber and comb through it until you find that sword!"

"But sir," said a dim-witted Skulken commander as he stumbled toward his master. "There's no way the weapon could have survived."

"Do not talk back to me, you bone-headed imbecile! Get down there! Now!" Garmadon fired a blast of what looked like purple energy at the skeleton's feet and he scrambled away faster than a roadrunner on caffeine. The area of stone which the energy had touched began to crumble into dust, but Garmadon paid no mind. He was too busy catching his breath and clutching his arm.

Down below, however, quite a different scene was playing out. Kai opened his eyes, expecting to see the afterlife, and saw bright yellow-orange light all around him.

'_Maybe I _am _dead,' _he thought. But the more he looked, the more he saw to disprove that theory. Nya was still very much by his side, holding on to him like a python, and the sword was still in his hand, glowing brightly. The bright light all around him must have been the lava they had fallen into, but none of it was touching them, and as he began to realise, no heat burned their skin either. It was, however, very difficult to breath. The seconds blurred as he stared off into space, blinded by the light, but he held on to Nya as tightly as he could even when he began to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen.

Kai gasped for air as a cold wind slapped him in the face, chilling his whole body. He thought that he was laying on solid ground, Nya beside him, the sword in his hand, but Garmadon's voice was gone. He forced himself to sit up and look around. They were laying in a dark room which had many small windows near the ceiling. Warm, red light glowed softly behind them and Kai soon realised that it was a pool of lava barely big enough for the both of them to fit through.

"It is over? Are we dead?" Nya asked, audibly frightened.

"No, no. We're alive... I think," Kai replied. He helped her up to her knees but she still had her face buried in his shirt. "We must be in another chamber... but how?" He looked down at the sword and thought for a moment.

"Ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

"What was that?" Nya squeaked.

Kai's eyes bulged when he spotted a heavy, iron chain laying in front of them. It was dark, and his eyes were still adjusting, but he followed it toward a large, lumpy animal covered in red scales.

"Eeeerrrrgggrrrrrr...," it moaned, but didn't move.

"Nya, wait here for a sec, okay?" He got up slowly, letting Nya detach, and crept ever so carefully over to the beast. The chain he saw wasn't alone; there were dozens of them attached to the walls and floor, most of them designed to confine the animal's massive claws, teeth, and tail. Kai was halfway around its body when he finally figured out what it was. Its face was toward the wall and Kai soon saw why. A large muzzle, made of iron and leather, had been strapped over the poor thing's snout and it looked like it was fastened on extremely tight. If weren't for the dragon's scales, he was sure there would have been blood. Then it opened one of its humongous, yellow eyes and peered directly at Kai.

"By the First Spinjitsu Master..." Kai breathed as more and more of the scene came alive in his weak eyes. There were cuts and blood all over the dragon's body, not to mention one of its front legs looked shrivelled. "Garmadon did this, didn't he?" Their gaze met again. "You're the guardian of this temple?" The dragon closed its eyes mournfully.

"Kai? What are you doing?" Nya asked, less frightened but very uneasy.

What _was_ Kai doing? He needed to help this creature. No time was wasted in melting off the metal chains thanks to the Sword, and as each one was removed, the dragon seemed to regain some of its strength. Soon the two children were sitting side by side again and looking on at the beast as it licked its many wounds.

The fire dragon was by far the biggest dragon they had ever seen. Not that Kai had seen much of the other dragons, but it did take up most of the room in the large chamber. It had massive horns on its head and beefy limbs covered in thick scales.

"So now what?" Nya was much more calm now, but she refused to take her eyes off of the beast. It looked back with confused interest.

Kai sighed frustratedly. "I don't know. I already gave Garmadon the other three weapons... and," he looked up at the windows where sunbeams were sparkling. "Wu should be here any minute... or nearby, at least."

"Who?" Nya asked.

"Oh, that's right," said Kai, brightening up. "There's a lot I need to tell you."

"Like why Garmadon called you a 'fire elemental?'" She turned to look at him and he sighed again.

"Okay... I guess I need to start from the beginning. After you were... taken, I was also kidnapped. I woke up in this monastery somewhere near Ninjago City..."

One long explanation later the brother and sister were silent as they stared up at the dragon who was laying down and staring back at them.

"So... you have special fire powers?" Nya summarised. "And you were trying to find all these 'Golden Weapons' to stop Garmadon?"

"Yup."

"But you just lost three of them?"

"Yep."

"And now Ninjago is probably doomed?"

"Most likely." Kai cleared his throat and held his knees closer to his chest. "I feel like I really messed up."

"Yeah," Nya agreed awkwardly. "But you _did _save me. That's something at least." They both looked at each other with a special look only they knew, and felt the familiar spark of kinship flicker in their eyes. "I don't wanna think about what they would have done to me if I had stayed any longer."

"What did they do to you?" said Kai as he reached for her hand.

She swallowed hard. "They, uh... took me to a labour camp... I didn't see mom or dad," she said, in answer to Kai's hopeful expression. There was long pause as the dragon scratched himself loudly.

Then there came an odd sort of noise. It was almost like someone was whispering into Kai's ears.

"_Serrdie grogchu djorg..."_

"What?" Kai asked.

"Hmm?" said Nya.

"Did you say something?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

Kai looked around a bit before his eyes finally landed on the Sword sitting beside him. Its glowing seemed to intensify the longer he looked at it, and he was almost certain that the whispers had come from that general direction.

"So what are we gonna do?" Nya's question jumped out of the silence and hit the hard walls sharply.

"What is there to do?" Kai asked, shaking his thoughts out. "I mean, it's not like we can just waltz back into the temple while Garmadon has _three Golden Weapons._"

"True... but we have a dragon," Nya pointed out.

Kai looked from the beast to his sister then back again. "You think it'll help us?"

"Only one way to find out."

With a deep breath, Kai got up and started walking over to the dragon. It didn't growl, it didn't flinch, it just watched him get closer.

"Hey there, little fella," Kai said awkwardly and he held out his hand like he would with a dog. "I wonder... do you understand me at all?" The dragon cocked his head to one side. "You're the guardian of this temple, right?" It almost seemed like the dragon had nodded, but it was such a slight movement. "Well, uh—this feels kinda stupid—um... then could you help us take it back? Drive away Garmadon?" He reached out and touched the dragon's snout gently and it leaned into his palm. It let out a low, rumbling sound from its throat.

Now it was Kai's turn to cock his head a bit. He could have sworn that he had understood what the dragon was trying to say. "I think... I think he's gonna help us," he said, turning back to Nya.

"How do you know it's a 'he'?" she asked.

Kai shrugged. "He sounds like a 'he'."

"So what's the plan?" said Nya, walking over with more calmness than Kai would have expected.

"Uh... working on it," he answered. "First things first, we need to get out of here. Any ideas?"

They both looked around. The room they were in seemed like a tower that had a very high ceiling. Upon closer inspection, they found no doors, only the windows above them which only _looked_ small to them but were, in fact, quite large up close.

"Well, how did the Skulkens get him in here?" Nya wondered out loud, looking from the smooth, black walls to the large—but not quite dragon-sized—windows.

"That's a good question," said Kai. He was pacing up and down the room, feeling the wall for any latches or buttons or—

CLIIIIIIICK!

Kai must have stepped on something—probably a button—because there was a loud sound like grinding gears and scraping stone. Then, a section of the wall began to roll back and disappeared into the darkness of a hallway beyond. Now this was a dragon-sized exit.

"Oh... that's how," said Kai. "All right, Nya, I want you to stay behind me the whole time. If I say run, you run. If I say duck, duck. There's no point in trying to get you somewhere safe, cause nowhere here is safe for miles. Just stay close and try not to get into trouble, will you?"

"How can I? You're the one making all the trouble," Nya quipped.

With nothing but their wit, Kai's ankle-deep knowledge of his powers, the Sword, and a dragon, they entered the pitch black hallway.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Rescue

The campsite woke with a jolt as Wu went from person to person, shaking them furiously.

"Get up, all of you!" he cried in distress.

"Sensei, what's wrong?" Ann asked, rubbing the last of the sleep out of her eyes.

"Kai is gone. And so are the Weapons." Never before had Ann seen Wu so frazzled.

"That idiot!" Cole said suddenly and he reached for his pack but found only grass. "What does he think he's doing?"

"Do not speak of him that way. He is young and naive, and may be have been persuaded into doing this. We must find him before it is too late," said Wu as he packed his things. The others began to do the same.

"We're do you think he is?" Keaton asked as she was loading her mat onto her horse.

"He's almost definitely across the boarder. In my sleep... I sensed a dark presence... but I assumed it was only a dream. Evidentially Kai has had a run-in with one of Garmadon's minions." Wu gripped the reins of his horse tightly and looked out at the horizon, barely lit with early morning glow. "If we do not reach him in time, I fear that the war may be lost tonight." He turned his horse to face everyone. "Keaton, lead Cole and Jay back down the road as we discussed."

"Yes, Sensei," Keaton replied quickly, and she clicked her tongue, urging her steed into a trot while Cole and Jay hesitantly followed. Before they were even out of sight, Wu said to Ann and Zane,

"Come, now," and he started through the field at a gallop.

The three of them were across the boarder just before the sun was above the mountains, but they were still riding out in the open, very much exposed.

"Sensei," Ann called as she pulled up alongside the old man. "What about our camouflage suits?"

"There is no time," Wu called back. "And in any case, Garmadon was expecting us. I would, however, like you to create a shield, in case any arrows find us out here."

Ann nodded her head and with one hand still clutching the reins, she created a shell of water around them. However, the amount of concentration this took prevented her from focusing completely on her horse, but as long as it followed the other animals, she would be fine.

There turned out to be quite a few arrows along their path. The area they had chosen to go through was generally deserted, but of course there were to be lookouts here and there, but the further inland they got, the more abundant these attacks became, until finally they were assaulted head-on. A platoon of Skulkens charged at them from beyond a tree-line, where the field ended. Wu said they didn't have time for this, and ordered Ann to make her shield thicker and then had Zane freeze it. With him now in control, they plowed right through the enemy lines, withstanding several shattering blows caused by swords, spears and mostly maces. They continued on like this for quite some time; taking blows, Ann and Zane re-freezing the holes the weapons left, but never stopping.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally began to turn in a new direction. They were in a forest now, which meant no more shields, so Ann and Zane needed to be extra vigilant. Ann's water was most effective, as the trees could pass through it easily.

If Wu was ever going to stop and continue on foot, he showed no sign of it. They kept up their speed and pressed on no matter what came at them. Soon, they had exited the forest and came to a very hilly plain, and just beyond it, a massive volcano dotted with shrivelled trees. At the base of the mountain, carved into the stone, was a dark temple utterly surrounded by skeletons and many new weapons and vehicles which until now had never been seen. Now Wu stopped and observed the situation.

"We cannot fight them all," Wu said after a long time in thought. "Come. There is a secret entrance around the side."

He lead them back into the forest and around to nearly the complete north side of the volcano. As they approached, Ann could make out a massive incline covered in loose, volcanic rubble and shards of obsidian.

"Here," said Wu, and he dismounted. Wu bent down and reached into the rubble, pulling out a round, metal handle that opened a hidden door. The path before them was dark and unkept, but they continued on, bringing the horses with them in case the Skulkens were near.

As they walked, Ann's forehead became very sweaty, and she realised, as the waves of heat continued to hit her face, that this must be an active volcano.

"What's the plan?" Zane asked after they tied up their horses near the entrance.

"Finding Kai is our first objective," Sensei Wu replied. "Then, if it is at all possible, retrieve all, or any, of the Weapons."

Back across the boarder, Keaton, Cole, and Jay moved along solemnly, knowing that their comrades were facing certain doom.

"This stinks," said Jay loudly. "We should be there, helping them!"

"It's too dangerous," Keaton replied, in a less-than-cheerful way. "And you guys can't rely on your powers for everything, you know. Sensei teaches us that our elements must be an extension of ourselves. That training in the art of Spinjitsu will combine our bodies and our powers, making us nearly unstoppable."

"Then why didn't he teach us?" Cole asked.

Keaton turned to look at them both. "Because Spinjitsu takes years to learn. And even longer to master. I'm still not very good at it, and I've been training since... well, since I was in diapers."

"Okay, but he will train us eventually, right?" said Cole, but Keaton turned away again. "Keaton?" She didn't reply. "What! You mean he never intended to teach us basic fighting skills?"

"It was supposed to be a secret!" Keaton wailed. "You weren't supposed to know until we were home again! But... yes. But, I swear, I don't know why."

Jay and Cole shared a look and hundreds of theories raced through their heads. If he wasn't planning on training them, did that mean that this whole adventure was only meant to be an impermanent thing? To Jay, this was relief. He would be going home soon. To Cole, this was torture. This meant that he would go back to school after all of this was said and done.

"No," Cole said firmly and he stopped his horse. "I'm not gonna stand back and let this happen. I'm here, and I can do something." He turned around and started galloping toward the south like a madman.

"Cole! Stop!" Keaton cried. She sprang up into the air and landed in front of him, urging him to reconsider, but he simply went around her. Jay came up beside her, holding the reins of her horse in one of his hands.

"He's gonna need help," said Jay.

"B-but Sensei told me!" Keaton replied fearfully.

"He'll get blown to bits for sure," Jay went on.

"No, no, and almost definitely, no!" She was most put out and stomped her foot with each "no."

"Keaton, come on," and Jay gave her a pleading look. She couldn't hold on for very long.

"Oh! Why do guys have to make things so complicated!" With her final word, Keaton propelled herself onto her horse's back and the two gave chase to their friend, who was veering off to a thin woods instead of riding out in the open.

They didn't have much of a plan, but they knew that they needed to get to the Fire Temple. Wherever that was. They kept on riding and riding and riding until Keaton stopped them.

"I hear something," she said quietly, and she looked about. The trees around them had thickened and there was a very good chance that someone was watching them. All of a sudden, she flung a small dagger up into the trees, slicing through air... and something else. A limp, skeleton body fell to the ground, crossbow still in-hand. The three of them looked on and swallowed hard.

"Well... I'm pretty sure we're across the boarder now," said Keaton quietly, and she pressed on; the boys followed.

By now, the sun had risen, and there was still no sign of the temple, or Wu, or even more Skulkens, leaving an eerie stillness across the forest.

Now we must return to Kai. He and Nya were still inching down the dark hallway in the Fire Temple, the guardian at their heels. On and on and on they went, fearing that they may never find an exit, when at last they came upon another door big enough for the dragon to fit through.

"Let's hope whatever's on the other side doesn't try to kill us," said Kai, half sarcastically, half serious. He pulled on one of the handles and it opened just enough for him to peek out. Their eyes met daylight and something far worse. Outside stood a stone courtyard with many pillars and statues and other structures, and who should happen to be meditating there but Lord Garmadon himself. He was just about to charge when he heard a distinct, low, growling sound and then the dragon swung its massive body at the doors, breaking them off their hinges. It lunged angrily at the Lord of Darkness, and let out a stream of hungry fire from its mouth. Kai and Nya couldn't see what happened from their end, but suddenly the enormous beast fell on its side, quite unwillingly.

Garmadon was, indeed, a great warrior. Just before the fire hit him, he got to his feet and used his own powers to snuff out the flames before they touched him, then he shot a dagger at the dragon's shrivelled leg, causing it to yowl in pain and fall to one side.

Kai, not wanting to lose the element of surprise, charged without hesitation. He had his eyes set on Garmadon, and he clambered over the dragon's body and jumped from its massive shoulder. He had the Sword in the air and he swung it down as hard as he could. Garmadon had managed to produce his own katana from a hidden sheath and the two locked swords and eyes for a few terrifying seconds. Kai was sure that he had seen complete shock pass over the warlord's face, but it vanished quickly.

"Back so soon?" Garmadon asked with a sickening grin.

"It takes more than a literal inferno to get rid of me!" Kai yelled.

Garmadon laughed and the their swords swung apart wildly, but before anything else could happen, Kai jumped back and used the Sword to create a whirlwind of fire around Garmadon while the dragon got up on its three other legs and carefully judged the situation.

Garmadon let out a shout and suddenly the flames burst and disappeared. He lunged at Kai, his sword at the ready, but the dragon ran in between them. The sword bounced off the hard scales and the beast opened its mouth wide, preparing for a quick meal, but Garmadon's four arms caught its snout and jaw. As the two were locked, more dark energy spilled from his hands, and the dragon shrieked so loud that Kai had to cover his ears. The fire dragon pulled back and attempted to fling Garmadon into the sky while it retreated. Garmadon, however, flew only a short distance before catching himself on one of the pillars.

Kai's heart ached when he saw the dragon fearfully flying into the sky and began to lose his control of the Weapon. Its power began to pour into him as it never had before and untamed flames erupted all around him.

"About time," Garmadon grumbled.

The two of them were set and ran at full speed, colliding with a loud CLANG! Kai mainly used the fire to his advantage, as he had limited sword practise and Garmadon had four arms, now brandishing three more swords. He tried to keep himself at a safe distance, knowing that one wrong move would result in a sliced throat, a lost limb, or worse. He made his attacks swift and never stopped moving. Garmadon was quick, though, and always countered his flames.

"That sword will be mine!" The Dark Lord cried angrily.

"Then take it from me!" Kai taunted.

Garmadon charged, and Kai launched a massive stream of fire at his face. He had to leap out the way of the flames, but he threw one of his katanas at Kai and it narrowly missed his head by about an inch. It did, however, distract Kai long enough for Garmadon to get close—

"AAAH!" Kai screamed as he felt something solid pierce his skin and lodge itself in his flesh just bellow his left pectoral, exiting out through the he skin of his back. He looked up shakily to see Garmadon's twisted face leering down at him, one hand greedily trying to wrestle the Golden Weapon out of Kai's right hand.

"KAAAI!" Nya shrieked. Kai could only grunt and gasp in response.

"I warned you, boy," said Garmadon, gasping himself. "…not to do anything stupid."

Kai summoned as much strength as he could, but his legs were too weak and collapsed underneath him. On his knees, he looked up and said, through gritted teeth, "Th-the onl-ly stupid th-thing I did... was n-not killing you wh-when I had the ch-chance." He gripped the sword with both hands, refusing to let go, and with one last desperate scream, he summoned another whirlwind that sent Garmadon and the Sword flying across the courtyard. Kai fell limply to the ground which was trembling as the volcano began to roar with life. Nya rushed to his side, her eyes as big as saucers when she saw all the blood.

Across the courtyard, the Sword did not fall on cold stone, but rather into a leathery, old hand.

"Garmadon!" Wu cried. "What have you done?!" His brother was still picking himself up when he saw Wu and spat on the ground.

"It's so nice to see you again, Wu," he said sarcastically. "This was far overdue." They wasted no time and their fight began.

Over in the other corner of the courtyard, Ann and Zane had rushed to Kai's side. Zane held onto Nya, who was shaking terribly, while Ann set to work cleaning Kai's wound and removing the katana.

"I-is he gonna be okay?" Nya asked. She was still starring at her brother, who was coughing up more blood.

"You're Nya, right? His sister?" Ann asked, not bothering to wait for a response. "He's going to be fine. No major arteries were hit. Just keep breathing."

Just then, a stray ribbon of fire nearly hit them from Wu and Garmadon's skirmish.

"We need to move," said Zane.

"No, he's too unstable. Make us an ice barrier," Ann instructed. Zane was quick at his work, and the beautiful shield provided Nya with a momentary distraction.

"S-so... you guys are the other 'elementals?'" she asked.

"Yes," Zane replied calmly.

As it turned out, the barrier was a good idea. Either the use of the Sword, or the dragon, or both, had set off the volcano, and ash was beginning to fall from the sky like snow. Red and orange light glowed brightly through the thick layer of ice around them, and Zane had to constantly re-freeze it.

"N...N-Nya..." Kai stuttered.

"Kai?" she whimpered. "Kai, I'm right here." She moved closer to his face and held his head in her lap, stroking his forehead gently. "It's gonna be okay."

"I-I'm sorry... thi-this is... all my f-fault," he said.

"Kai, don't be ridiculous," said Nya gently. "Everything's gonna be fine. It's not your fault."

He was weak and tired, but Ann had stabilised his wound. There was now a thick layer of fabric wrapped around him, made from each of their shozoku, and his breathing was steady.

"Okay, now we need to move, before this whole place comes down," Ann said confidently. She lifted Kai up and carried him while Zane lowered the shield. The air was thick and stung their noses with harsh chemicals and the smell of sulphur. The two brothers had nearly destroyed the whole courtyard during their fight, and what a sight their fighting was! They were both masters at their craft, swords flying so fast you could miss it if you blinked, flames shooting out every which way, and the speed at which they moved did not seem possible for such old men.

Ann resisted every urge in her body to go help and instead focused on Kai and Nya. She led them back into the temple toward the secret entrance and their horses just before the rest of the Skulken legion had arrived at the courtyard. Loud, draconic roars could be heard in the distance, and the temple continued to shake and crumble as more and more smoke filled the air.

Meanwhile, Keaton, Jay, and Cole were still making their way through the forest. They had gone for quite some time without seeing any other Skulkens that they had begun to worry. Something wasn't right.

Suddenly, Keaton told them to stop and keep quiet. She lifted herself up on a breeze and silently slipped up into the trees farther up ahead. When she came back, about a minute later, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Skulkens. A whole platoon," she said. "It looks like they're preparing to go somewhere."

All three of them tied up their horses and inched forward in the underbrush to get a better idea of what the skeletons were doing out here. When they arrived at a safe-enough distance, they found the Skulkens, at lest two hundred, maybe more, and a plethora of large vehicles, being loaded up with supplies and—the Golden Weapons! Cole's breath caught when he saw their distinct glow, and he wanted so badly to run out and grab them.

"Too many," Keaton mouthed.

"What do we do?" Jay replied.

Keaton looked like she was deep in thought when they all heard one the Skulkens, presumably a captain, say, "All right, men! To the Underworld!" To which all of the Skulkens cheered and proceeded to load up in their strange vehicles.

Keaton motioned for the boys to follow her and they crept around the fleet as the vehicles sputtered to life and began peeling out, down a long strip of dirt road. Then, right as the last one was about to take off—a very large truck filled with supplies—Keaton used her powers to launch all of them toward the bumper. They landed as gracefully as one might expect, but thankfully did make enough sound to alarm any of the soldiers. They held on for dear life as the truck began to speed up, faster and faster, surpassing the limit of any car the three teenagers knew, then suddenly, everything changed. There were bright lights all around them, forming what looked like some sort of tunnel. There were flames, and lightning, and the thunderous noise was deafening as they sped toward the home of the Skulkens: the Underworld.

(Note to the reader: chapter 19 will be delayed until December 4, 2019)


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A Hop, Skip, and a Dragon-ride

_Lights, fire, thunder, noise, chaos, THUD!_

Ann had taken a misstep, and with Kai's weight putting her off-balance, she toppled over. Thankfully, Zane and Nya were there to catch them, but as Ann straighten herself, she could've sworn that she had seen the most uncannily real image of Keaton, Jay, and Cole flying through some sort of void.

_'__Just stress,' _she told herself, and carried on.

The horses were shrieking in fear and pulling against their restraints as the temple rumbled and creaked and cracked. There was no hope of calming them, so Zane carefully jumped passed them, opened the door, and then came back to break the rope tying them down with shards of sharp ice. The horses bolted through the door at the same time that the wall to their left came crashing in. There were bits of stone and plaster and dust flying everywhere, making the ashy air even harder to breathe in.

Wu did his best to keep Garmadon away form them, but even so, some of their attacks came dangerously close.

"Zane! Take Kai!" Ann ordered as she raced to his side. They carefully exchanged him and Ann was free to create a large bubble shield around them and Nya. She scooped them all up and launched them into another room, lit by bright torches.

"Garmadon, you must stop this!" Wu cried at one point, but they were all so distracted that it was difficult to tell where he was.

At the sound of his master's voice, Kai's eyes fluttered open. "What's going on?" He asked slowly.

"Try not to move," Zane told him. But that didn't stop Kai from craning his neck around.

Wherever Ann moved them to, Garmadon and Wu were close behind. It kept pushing them further and further in to the heart of the temple, where the heat was strongest. Soon, Ann's bubble was steaming.

"Where are we going?"Nya asked.

"Anywhere to get out of danger," Ann explained.

They were now standing in a very large lava chamber, most likely the place where they had found the Sword, although the volcano had brought down several walls. The lava level had risen, and the back wall was one of the structures which had fallen, leaving an opening into an extremely large cavern, also oozing with lava. Most likely, it was a part of the volcano itself. There were many ledges and balconies high above the walkway, and from the ledge closest to the door of the room, Ann tried to think of a way to get them out of there.

"Wait," said Kai. "Where's Wu?"

When Ann didn't speak, a loud scream below them answered for her. She released her bubble and they could see the world clearly again. Too clearly. Down on the stone walkway, Wu and Garmadon seemed to be at an impasse, and Wu looked especially thrashed.

"Sensei Wu!" Kai cried desperately, but his voice was too weak to reach very far.

"Get away!" Wu shouted at them, before his attention was drawn back to Garmadon. "Leave at once!"

Ann closed her eyes and clenched her fists, preparing them to escape; Zane looked on and wished his master good luck; Nya held onto Kai's hand and tried to look anywhere else, but Kai couldn't tear his eyes away for the scene that was unfolding before him. Garmadon had Wu cornered, pushing him back closer and closer to the edge of the path.

"No!" Kai screamed as Ann's bubble returned, launching them up, up, up, through a hole in the ceiling which led to the outside world. He saw Wu standing there, holding the Sword, and then he produced his teapot from the folds of his robe and fell off the walkway, plummeting toward the lava. He couldn't look away even after the temple roof had blocked Garmadon from view, or when the entire temple was blocked from sight by branches and leaves.

They had landed in the forest just outside the temple grounds, and Ann made it clear that they were not stopping. Kai was numb the entire time. He didn't care where they were going, he didn't care that the air was polluting his lungs, he just knew that he had watched his sensei probably die… and it was his fault.

"No!" Kai said again, his eyes becoming red. Zane tightened his grip on him, but they didn't stop. "It's all my fault… all my fault…" Kai was on the verge of tears.

"Kai…" Nya whispered. She didn't quite know what to say.

After a while they paused to catch their breath, and to get a better look at Kai's wound. Zane patrolled the area while Ann removed the dirty cloth from Kai's chest and put on clean ones. Nya sat beside her brother and stroked his head again.

"All my fault…" he kept muttering.

Ann noticed Nya's distressed expression and reassured her that Kai was just experiencing severe exhaustion and stress. Once he had some rest, and allowed his wound to heal, he would feel much better. Nya nodded sadly and did her best to believe that, but staring down at Kai in the state he was in made it very difficult.

They were moving again by noon, further into the forest where it would be more difficult to be captured, so that they might have some place to rest for the night. However, the thing was, as Ann observed the sunlit trees and bushes, there was a stunning lack of movement or noise. This went on for several hours, and the stillness was beginning to drive her mad.

"So now what do we do?" Zane asked, sitting on the soft grass. No one looked up. No one said anything, either. The silence seemed to be saying everything that was already on their minds.

Then Ann cleared her throat. "Without horses, we can't travel very far, or very fast, and I can only take us so far in my bubble."

"How come?" Nya asked in a small voice.

Ann squinted at the ground for a split second. Something about they way Nya had asked that question seemed... familiar? Whatever. It didn't matter. "Well, my powers aren't infinite," said Ann. "And carrying all of us is... more intense than I think you realise."

"Oh," was all that Nya said in reply.

Then there a gentle breeze.

Twittering birds.

A woodpecker somewhere off in the distance.

A cricket that had began to chirp a little too early.

Leaves rustling.

"So..." Nya began with a shaky breath. "Are we... camping out in the woods tonight?"

"We'll have to," Ann said simply. "Kai shouldn't move, and we won't be able to get him across the boarder without being caught anyway."

Nya hummed her agreement and went back to starring at the pile of dirt she had been absentmindedly playing with.

Kai had drifted back into sleep a while ago, giving them all a temporary rest from his constant self-belittling, but that wouldn't stop Nya from worrying about him, at least a little. Ann admired that. Selflessness, in her opinion, was a great asset. A sign of a loving heart. And also a very hard thing to learn. It made her wonder about what kind of parents they must have. Defiantly good ones.

Zane shifted and then got up to look around again, but he came back a little while later saying that the coast was clear.

"Something isn't right," Ann finally said.

"I was thinking the same," Zane agreed.

Nya sat up straighter. "What do you mean?"

Ann turned to look at her as she got up and stood next to Zane. "The Skulkens should have followed us. We should have seen at least one by now. It just... I don't know what it means, but I've got a bad feeling."

"What do we do?" asked Nya.

"For now, sit tight. I'll do a wider search." Ann nodded at Zane who sat down next to Nya.

The forest wasn't particularly easy to navigate, and even harder to move through gracefully, but all of her wilderness training hadn't been for nothing. She knew it was risky, but the first place she checked was the perimeter of the Fire Temple, and to her surprise, she still didn't hear any noise. Either the soldiers had taken a vow of silence, or they were gone. She moved closer, going against her better judgement, until she could actually see the building in question to find it quite abandoned. The Skulkens and their strange vehicles were gone, the volcano had quieted, the air had cleared, and the lava had cooled—at least somewhat.

Ann stayed where she was for a long time, waiting to catch any sign of movement. Eventually she was forced to admit that it was very unlikely that there was anyone still here, and she moved even closer. She crept in through the—now demolished—secret entrance and quietly checked as many rooms as she could, including the sword room. All were empty.

"Oh, good! You're okay!" Nya cried when Ann returned a little over a half an hour later. "What did you find?"

"Nothing," said Ann. "The Skulkens are gone."

"Well, what does that mean?" Nya asked, looking from Ann to Zane and back again.

"It's impossible to tell," Zane answered, looking very thoughtful.

"In any case, the temple will be a good deal warmer than the woods," Ann said, lifting Kai up again. "Come on."

The four of them made the walk to the temple in silence and arrived at sunset, when a warm breeze sprung up from the south. They were about to make camp in a small side room when Kai woke up, startled by the sound of a roaring dragon.

"RRROOOAOAAAAARRRR!"

"Take cover!" Ann ordered as the fire dragon reappeared and swooped down out of the sky. It cut them off from the temple and loomed over them, looking ready to eat every one of them.

"Zane! Ice barrier!" Ann ordered.

"No! It's okay!" Nya urged. "He's friendly."

Zane and Ann shared a dubious look, and then the dragon stooped down and grabbed Kai from Ann's hands with its mouth.

"AAhhh! Woah, boy! Put me down!" Kai cried, trying to keep his lunch down as the dragon's breath wafted over him.

"Give him back, you brute!" said Ann

She leaped into action, attempting to rescue Kai, but the dragon was so big and so powerful that she barely seemed to be more than a nuisance to him. He turned away a bit and played Kai down on the ground. Kai still couldn't move very much, so he couldn't run away. In fact, he was clutching his chest in pain. The dragon lowered himself again and sniffed Kai, then it gave him the biggest, slobberyest, wettest lick you've ever seen, all from probably the largest tongue in existence.

Kai coughed and groaned and attempted to wipe the slime from his face, but the more he touched it, the more he realised that it was seeping into his skin. He gave a disgusted look as he peered down and saw that most of it had already been absorbed into him. Now that he thought about it, he could feel something different about his body. His exposed skin felt tingly and warm, and his muscles felt like they were thrumming or pulsing with some sort of energy. It was very weird to say the least, but also kind of nice. As well as… very tiring. Kai suddenly found his eyelids so heavy that he couldn't keep them open any more. His head and torso followed, leaving him collapsed on the ground, sound asleep.

"Kai!" Nya yelled as she ran over. Ann and Zane followed her, and this time the dragon didn't stop them. When she reached him, she fell to her knees and looked him over. "What did he do to him?"

Ann checked him too, but didn't find anything wrong, aside from what felt like a fever. Other than that, his pulse was normal, he was still somewhat responsive; he was just asleep, but he also wouldn't wake up.

Behind them, the dragon gave what sounded like a snicker as they attempted to wake him for the twelfth time.

"What did you do?" asked Nya, suddenly becoming very angry with the beast. "What did you do to him?!"

The dragon did not look intimidated in the slightest, but it did seem to understand her. It raised its left paw and pointed one of its long claws at its chest. The very same spot on his chest where Kai had been injured.

After a moment of squinting and confusion, Ann quickly understood and went to unwrap the bandages around Kai's torso. Once his bare skin was showing, they all stared in bewilderment, because there was no wound to see anymore. There was a nasty scar, but no more blood.

No one seemed to know quite what to say after that. They all just sat around staring at Kai's motionless body.

"Mmmm…. What happened?" Kai asked, suddenly opening his eyes and reaching for his wound. He did a double take when he didn't feel it anymore.

"You're fine," Ann reassured him.

"The dragon healed you," said Nya.

Kai frowned. "With slobber?"

Nya shrugged.

Ann moved closer to Zane and spoke in a quiet voice. "I don't understand," she muttered. "All the other dragons were hostile."

"Perhaps it has no quarrel with us because its charge has been lost," Zane suggested.

"But when we took the other weapons, the dragons just... disappeared." She frowned and gave a quick glance at the fire dragon, who was leaning in closer to Kai.

"Except for the lightning dragon," Zane reminded her. "It was nowhere to be found."

"Yes," she agreed. "Yet another peculiarity to add to the list."

"Perhaps we should just accept the fact that we know nothing about dragons," said Zane, and Ann turned to face him.

"Yet," she clarified.

The dragon began breathing heavily and making odd—almost meowing—noises. It pawed the ground, tearing up the grass, and was getting more and more restless by the minute.

"I think he wants something," said Nya, backing away.

"Or maybe he's just hungry," Ann suggested. "Anyway, we have more important things to worry about right now."

"Like what?" Kai asked, lifting himself upright.

Ann stood up and began to pace as she said, "Like what we're going to do next. I propose heading back and meeting up with the others. Then once we've regrouped, we can head back to the monastery and—"

"And what?" Kai interrupted. "Hide under our beds? Eat some soup and then maybe have a bubble bath?"

Ann's eyes narrowed and her jaw stiffened. "That's about all we _can_ do."

The dragon pawed the ground harder.

"That's it? We're just giving up?" Kai continued, rising to meet her gaze.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" Ann snapped. "We have no lead, no goal, no resources, no guidance, nothing! We don't even know where Garmadon is right now!"

"Then we find him," said Kai with an air of confidence. "I still have unfinished business with that slimy cretin."

"Kai, I admire your enthusiasm, but I know how these things work. Right now, we're sitting ducks. Just because there's nobody here right now, doesn't mean more troops won't show up soon. Getting back over the boarder means getting back to safety, and regrouping ensures that we are at our strongest."

"We have a dragon, don't we?" Nya pointed out. The dragon, however, was looking more aggravated than ever.

"And you saw how long he lasted against Garmadon." Ann's words were swift and matter-of-fact. "I'm the senior officer in this scenario, and I say we make an orderly retreat."

"I agree," Zane chimed in.

The dragon became louder now.

"And you expect us to walk all the way back?" Nya cried.

"A little walking never hurt anyone," Ann replied.

"A _litte? _It's at least fifteen miles! I had to walk for about five hours, and my feet are still sore!" Kai exclaimed.

Ann sighed in frustration. "Fine, if you want to stay here and get captured or killed, be my guest! Come on, Zane!" She was about leave when the fire dragon suddenly bent down and grabbed her carefully. "Let me go!" The dragon didn't listen, and plopped her onto his back. Then he grabbed Kai and Nya, placing them beside her. Zane got the message and leaped up by himself as the beast began to stretch out his wings.

With only the large spine scales to grip on to, they began shooting up into the sky, higher and higher.

"WHAT IS HE DOING?!" Nya shrieked.

With the rushing wind filling their ears, nobody could hear her.

The dragon suddenly came to a stop and they all looked down at the temple which was like a small speck beneath them. From up here, they could see the ocean in every direction, and Ninjago suddenly looked very small.

Then, Kai's stomach felt like it had lurched up into his chest as they began to plummet toward the ground. The dragon was nose-diving, wings tucked, and they were gaining speed. Then the spinning started, and Ann was sure that she would vomit. Faster and faster and faster and faster, then,

BOOM!

There was a flash of bright light and suddenly they weren't in Ninjago anymore. There was fire in millions of different colours and what sounded like thunder, and a million other things that wizzed by. Then,

CRASH!

The four of them hit the cold, stone ground hard and none of them had the strength to get up.

"What… on earth…" Kai breathed, gasping for air.

"Where are we?" Ann asked, her voice suddenly sounding very small.

They looked around and everything they saw was completely alien. There was no sun, only an endless blackness, like the night sky, but there were no stars or moon. Thick, white fog covered the ground which felt like stone in some places, and in others felt damp and squishy. Around them, little balls of light danced and floated. Some were turquoise, some were red, and some were white. There was also a terrible stench that was almost like a mix between a cow pasture and… you know that smell you sometimes find in your refrigerator when some of the produce your mom bought has expired and it starts to leak that icky brown liquid? It was something like that, but far more potent. All in all, it smelled like death.

"Where did the dragon go?" Nya wondered, slowly getting up and rubbing her back.

They all began to look around again, but the fire dragon had, indeed, vanished.

"…thing over there. Maybe another platoon…"

"Someone's coming!" Ann scream-whispered. "Get down!"

They all fell flat on their backs, hoping the fog would keep them hidden.

"I bet it's old Captain Femur and his 'Skeleton Crew.'"

"Will I sure don't remember hearing that anyone was coming through."

"Your clipboard is upside down, dummy!"

"Well, your helmet is on backwards, numbskull!"

"Oh yeah? Well…"

The voices began to slowly disappear and Ann lifted her face just enough to see if they were still around. She caught a glimpse of two very tall Skulkens bickering with each other as they walked down some sort of tunnel, followed by purple balls of light. She held her breath and didn't dare say a word until she was certain that they were alone again.

"I think... I think we're in the Underworld."


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The Underworld

"How exactly did we get here?" Jay asked as he looked around the dark room they were currently in.

The Skulkens had teleported into a large clearing, then had driven into this room and left to join some special meeting. Keaton, Cole, and Jay then wobbled out of the back of the truck they had snuck onto and were now trying to piece everything together.

"Umm, well... Sensei Wu had been working on a side project," Keaton explained. "He was trying to figure out how the Skulkens crossed over to our world." She waved some floating orbs away from her face and sat down next to the boys. "He said they'd need some sort of special... thing to do it."

"Special _thing_?" Jay repeated.

Keaton sighed loudly. "We didn't know what they were using, and it could have been anything! But I'll bet you Ann's left foot that it's those fancy-shmancy cars."

Jay frowned. "Why _Ann's _left foot?"

"Better her's than mine," Keaton shrugged. Jay chuckled.

"By the way—just a random side question here, but—what freaks Ann out the most?" Jay asked.

"Jay, is this really an important conversation to have right now?" Cole cut in.

"Sorry, sorry..." Jay muttered, looking at the ground.

"Birds," Keaton whispered, and Jay's face lit up.

"We're here, and we can do something," said Cole, getting to his feet. "If this is the Skulken home world, and those cars are the only way to get from here to Ninjago, then I say it's high time we suspend their traveling rights."

"Good idea!" Keaton exclaimed, bouncing up from the ground. "I bet that's why they didn't ride these things into battle, too. To make sure they always had a way home."

"Exactly," said Cole, and he marched up to what looked like some sort of monstrous jeep.

"But let's make sure to at least save one car, preferably the doom-buggy over there, so _we _have a ride home, yeah?" Jay added as he walked up next to Cole. He really didn't want to be stuck in this depressing cave for the rest of his life.

The three of them exchanged an excited look, then set to work. Keaton began with flipping the smaller cars with her wind and doing her best to smash them while Jay sabotaged all the wires and the engines and all the inner mechanisms. Cole was most effective, however, in his endeavours to crush the vehicles with large boulders.

"Hey guys, this is kinda loud, isn't it?" said Keaton after a while. Jay stopped what he was doing and looked up at Keaton with wide eyes. Then he looked at Cole, who had a similar expression. But when there was no sound of approaching soldiers down the halls, Cole quickly smashed two more cars and then they all jumped in the 'doom-buggy.' Cole took the driver's seat, Jay rode shotgun, and Keaton plopped down in the very small (but surprisingly comfortable) backseat.

Cole looked down at all the odd controls and felt beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead.

"What's the matter? Don't you have your driver's license?" Jay asked.

"I do, it's just," Cole stammered, grabbing hold of the hourglass-shaped steering wheel. "I've never driven a skull-mobile before."

"Well you'd better hurry up real fast, because Jack Skellington is coming down the hallway right now!" Jay shrieked, and when they paused to listen, the sound of clinking armour and disgruntled voices came to their ears. "Drive, man, drive!"

Cole began to panic and scanned the dashboard for anything that looked like an ignition key, or a button, or really anything that would start the buggy up. Finally he just started mashing every button and lever he could find.

"Hurry!" Jay pressed.

"Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious!" Cole snapped. "I wasn't gonna hurry, but since _you_ said I should—!"

"If I said 'drop the sarcasm' would you do that too?!"

"Jay!" Cole yelled, pushing as hard as he could on one of the levers, and suddenly the engine roared and the headlights flashed on. "Hold on!"

They lurched directly toward the wall of the room and Cole had to make a very sudden u-turn that nearly sent Keaton flying out of her seat. Then it was an obstacle course through the field of car debris until they finally entered the hallway where they crashed right into the Skulken soldiers. Jay closed his eyes and brace himself for the end, but the buggy was so strong and fast that no matter how many skeletons they hit, it kept going. There were bones flying overhead, going underneath them, the windshield was cracked, one of the lights was smashed, and one of the wheels kept making a very odd noise, but Cole didn't stop for anything.

Jay turned around in his seat once they had exited the hallway, seeing all the soldiers collapsed on the ground. "So… we all agree that those guys are just unconscious, right?" Keaton and Cole both gave a slightly uncomfortable "Mmmhmm" and nodded.

Then Keaton cleared her throat. "Where are we going?"

"Back to the field we came in from," said Cole.

"Yeah, where is that exactly?" Jay asked when they reached a fork in the road. Cole slammed the breaks and they all crashed forward.

As Jay rubbed his head, he looked around the unfamiliar landscape. There were five different paths in front of them, and he couldn't even begin to guess which one they had used earlier.

"Skulkens! Skulkens!" Keaton cried, pointing down one of the pathways. A hundred or more skeletons were charging at them, and then the other hallways were suddenly flooded with more of them.

Cole frantically started up the engine and they bolted down the only hallway that wasn't filled with bloodthirsty soldiers. This path was very dark and long, but then again, every room in this place seemed that way; it was like a terrible maze that they might never escape from.

No matter what, they didn't stop moving; around every corner and bend, over more soldiers, uphill, downhill, constantly trying not to get caught.

"If there wasn't a chance we could be trapped here forever, this would be so cool!" Jay yelled as they sped down another hallway and then launched into the air off of some sort of ramp.

"Yes, but where's the big cave?" Keaton asked. "I don't remember any of this."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them, that is, until a siren suddenly began to scream up and down the tunnel.

"Well, it's been fun," said Jay, accepting their fate. "I enjoyed shouting at you guys the most."

Then, off in the distance, there seemed to be a little bit of light. They were going so fast that it suddenly shot right towards them and as it turned out, that light was the large cavern they were looking for. The tunnel disappeared in a sudden WOOSH and they were now speeding through the open, foggy field. Then, something moved in the mist below them. It had looked like a person—a person they were about to run over. None of them had any time to react, however, because one second later something had crushed the hood of the car, sending them flying forward several yards and leaving the buggy crashing just a few feet behind them.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE FIRST SPINJITSU MASTER ARE YOU THREE DOING HERE!?"

"Wait a minute…" Jay groaned as he tried to recover his breath. "That sounds like…"

"It can't be," said Keaton as she got up and looked around. "Ann?"

Ann was standing right where she had been when their buggy had almost run her over, and she did not look happy. At. All. In fact, her glare could probably scare off a great white shark. Then Kai, Nya, and Zane appeared out of the fog beside her.

"Guys?" Cole asked, bewildered. "How did you get here?"

"If I'm not going completely insane, I think... the fire dragon brought us?" Kai said, glancing around at his peers for support in his hypothesis.

"You were told to wait at the meet-up point!" Ann went on, as if she had never been interrupted. Her gaze was fixed on Keaton. "You were supposed to stay out of harm's way!" She closed the distance between her and her sister and everyone in the room began to feel very uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Ann," Keaton whimpered and seemed to shrink in Ann's presence. "But—"

"But nothing!" Ann raged. "You were given a direct order!"

"Hey, ease up, Ann!" Jay jumped in, attempting to defend Keaton from an unreasonable attack.

"And YOU TWO!" Ann snapped, turning toward Jay and Cole. "You were given the same orders! Just wait until we get back to Ninjago, because your disciplinary action will be so nightmarish that you'll regret the day you ever stepped foot into the monastery!" They were all silent and looked genuinely frightened as they watched Ann go back and forth between them, shouting. "And I assume you're the ones who set off the alarm? So now we've lost the element of surprise!"

"But we were trying to get out!" Cole argued.

"Well _we're _here to find Garmadon, apparently," said Ann with a side glance at Kai. "And retrieve the Golden Weapons while we're at it. A feat which is now completely IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Well we could have still escaped, if YOU hadn't totalled our getaway car!" Jay shouted, finding his voice. They all looked at the smoking hunk of metal and glass that was sitting in the middle of the clearing, leaking some sort of black liquid.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I was trying NOT TO GET RUN OVER!" Ann belted.

"Well at least _we _were trying _do something, _not having playtime with a bunch of _dragons_!" Jay retorted, scrunching up his face and taking a step closer to Ann. "_Ooh, look at me, I'm Ann, Queen of the DRAGONS!"_

"_YOU were supposed to wait at the MEET-UP POINT!" _Ann cried again, going red in the face.

"WELL HOW WERE _YOU_ GOING TO GET TO THE MEET-UP POINT, HUH?! ON YOUR MAGIC DRAGON?!" Jay screamed. "Oh yeah, where is that dragon anyway? CAUSE IT WOULD SURE COME IN HANDY RIGHT ABOUT NOW!"

"THE DRAGON HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH _ANYTHING_ GOING ON RIGHT NOW!" Ann shrieked. The two of them were right up in each other's faces now, raving so intently you could see spit flying. "YOU'RE JUST BEING ALL POUTY 'CAUSE YOUR SORRY BUTT GOT BUSTED FOR BEING SOMEWHERE IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE!"

"WELL AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE A FAT BUTT LIKE YOURS!" With that final shout, Jay's expression seemed to freeze, as did the tension in the room.

"**Choose your next words very carefully**," said Ann in a deathly cold tone, dripping with the promise imminent murder.

"Ann, shouting at everyone won't help the situation," Zane said calmly, walking up behind her and placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Ann looked back at him in an angry sort of way, but when she looked into his unsettlingly stern face, her temper seemed to waver and she was silent. "We have greater matters to attend to," Zane continued.

"Like what?" asked Cole.

"Like that," Zane replied, pointing down the tunnels all around them where they could see swarms of Skulkens charging at them.

"Everyone, circle up around Nya, now!" Ann ordered. This time, nobody argued.

Since Nya had no powers and no fighting experience, she needed to be kept out of the way and protected, and since the tunnels were all around them, they'd need defences to match.

"Just try not to get killed," said Ann, summoning a large tendril of water.

"Gee, thanks for the motivational boost," Jay remarked.

"How about I 'boost' that 'motivation' right up your—"

"Oh, would you two just SHUT UP!" Kai yelled impatiently.

The Skulkens came quickly and they all braced themselves, summoning as much of their element as they could before the battle properly began. Ann, Keaton, and Zane were most effective, taking out large numbers of the enemy left and right, but their attacks were only so big, and there seemed to be no end to the skeletons. Cole also did well, but with all the stress and fast-paced action, his head wasn't quite in the game. Meanwhile Kai and Jay were just trying to get their powers to work half the time. Although Kai seemed to be having an easier time than Jay, who was hiding behind Cole a great deal.

"Kai!" Nya screamed as several soldiers began dog-piling on top of him.

Ann had to rush over and fling the Skulkens away with a water whip, while Cole was left to defend her spot in the circle. That left Jay a bit more vulnerable and he soon found himself surrounded. Cole came to his rescue just in time, pushing his friend out of harm's way and landing Jay at Nya's feet.

"Hey," Jay said with a goofy grin. Nya looked down and gave an uneasy smile in return. "My name's—JAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Jay was caught by his ankle and dragged away into the horde of warriors by some sort of grapple hook, meanwhile Cole suddenly found his legs bound by a double steel ball bola and he fell right on top of Zane, crashing to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs and daggers. The Skulkens swooped in and pinned them to the ground, binding them tightly and keeping them at knife point.

Keaton was snagged by a skeleton hand and dragged down to the ground where she was bound with chains and gagged, leaving only Kai, Nya, and Ann still standing.

Seeing no other alternative, Ann decided to go on the defensive and created her water bubble again to protect them, but it couldn't last forever. With how many soldiers there were, constantly banging their fists and shoving their swords into the water, Ann's concentration began waver. With one final slash at her shield, it dissolved and fell to the ground.

Jay felt fear attack him as heavy chains were clapped around his neck, wrists, waist, and ankles. The Skulkens gripped and pulled him in every direction before finally one of them slung him over his shoulder and carried him with the flow of the crowd now moving down one of the tunnels. He tried not to make a sound, or move too much. He just hoped that they would toss them into their creepy jail, or something, and not hurt them.

The floating orbs of light turned to a deep shade of maroon, casting an eerie redness all around them and making it impossible to see the others, chained and gagged behind him.

Suddenly, all the light went out, and in the darkness Jay thought the end was drawing near, but a sliver of hope was reignited with the purple light that now bombarded his retinas.

"King Samukai," said one of the Skulkens somewhere up ahead, and Jay felt his Skulken lower to one knee. "We found the intruders."

Then Jay suddenly found himself being lifted up and then thrown down to the ground hard. Kai was thrown down on his right, and Zane landed on his left, just as discombobulated and terrified as he was.

Standing in front of them, over seven feet tall, was the hideous figure of the Skulken king. His face had many scars and piercings, and huge, ugly teeth stuck out of his jaw, making him look far more animal than human. On his forehead two giant horns stuck out menacingly, and all around them his skull was embroidered with black tattoos and red jewels to match his beady red eyes which shown from within his deep, black eye sockets. His armour was very big and immaculate, with enormous gold pouldrens, gauntlets, boots, and chest plate. Over the armour, he wore a long, red cape to hide his four arms.

He was sitting in an enormous thrown made from what looked like elephant bones and tusks, while two giant, purple torches burned at his sides. His face deepened with a frown as he looked over the ninja who had entered his domain without his consent and had destroyed his property.

"So… this is it?" the king asked in a growl of a voice. He sounded so hoarse that one might have assumed he spent the entirety of his life screaming. "These… _human children_ are what have been causing this calamity?"

Jay held his breath as he got out of his thrown and walked over to them very slowly, letting the _chink _of his armour bounce around the room.

"My Lord, these children posses the Keromine," said one general, bowing respectfully.

King Samukai's eyes grew wide with anger and he stared down at them again, as if they were some sort of vermin. Jay didn't know what a "Keromine" was, but he had a feeling that if it made the king this mad, he didn't want it anymore.

"How?!" the king cried, clearly ready to hurt someone.

"W-we do not know, My King," one Skulken said, somewhere in the crowd.

The king grumbled something under his breath, then whipped around and grabbed Kai by his throat and lifted him up until his feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

"Show me!" he demanded. "Show me your Keromine!" And he shook Kai intensely.

"I-I don't kn-know wha-at you're t-talking ab-out," Kai choked, trying to hold on to the king's arm.

"Your command over nature, idiot boy!" King Samukai was positively fuming.

Not knowing what else to do, Kai lifted one hand and summoned a small ball of fire. It licked his fingers and sent little sparks flying into the air before disappearing. King Samukai locked onto it and stared in disbelief.

"Impossible…" he breathed. "Impossible!" And he threw Kai to the ground, coughing and gasping. "How did you steal this power?!" King Samaukai demanded to know. But no one knew quite what to say. "ANSWER ME!"

"W-w-we didn't," Ann stammered. "We didn't steal these powers."

"LIES!" The king shouted, making the whole room shake. "Take them away and interrogate them, one by one! I have other matters to attend to…"

The king turned around and walked slowly back to his thrown while the rest of the Skulkens grabbed Jay and the others by their chains and dragged them back into the dark.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Darkness

The cell was dirty and slimy, and a horrible stench hung around them. There were no benches or beds or even straw. Just hard floor and even harder bars.

Cole was currently being interrogated—the first of them all—and no one spoke a word, but they were all thinking the same thing: what was Cole enduring? And what would await them when it was their turn?

There were two guards stationed by the cell door, so Kai made sure to be very quiet when he asked, "Why don't we use our powers to escape?"

"And go where?" Ann whispered. "They'd just capture us again." She shifted on the ground and curled into a tight ball, her face turned toward the darkness.

"But shouldn't we try _something? _There's gotta be at least _one _thing we can do?" Jay asked, looking around hoping someone had an idea. The overwhelming quiet seemed to solidify the hopelessness of the situation.

"If there was, we'd already be doing it," Ann said quietly.

Kai let his head tilt back and hit the wall he was leaning against. Was this really how everything was going to end? All the time they spent collecting the weapons, fighting Garmadon, riding a dragon... and now this? Everything was such a mess. If Nya wasn't by his side now, he would never had trusted Wu in the first place.

The silence was becoming unbearable, and then a heavy door opened somewhere down the outside hall. Kai looked up and his chest tightened when he saw Cole being dragged forward by two Skulkens. He didn't seem to be conscious, which set off a whole new set of worries.

When the cell door opened, almost everyone moved closer to take Cole and lay him down gently before the Skulkens threw him to the ground.

Kai only caught a glimpse of whatever they had done to their earth ninja when one of the soldiers said, "Take the scrawny one." The two guards marched up to Jay and lifted him up off the floor by his chains and then they all walked out of sight, the cell door slamming shut behind them.

"He's not in good shape," Ann was saying, and Kai looked back over to the group surrounding Cole. "See, burn marks here... here... and over here. And those are bruises..."

"I thought they were just supposed to interrogate us," said Nya, clearly very scared.

"This is war. No one 'just interrogates,'" Ann explained, in an annoyed sort of way. As if she couldn't believe she needed to state the obvious. "Torture is always expected." And she went back to leaning against the wall.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Zane asked.

Ann sighed. "This," she said, and she summoned several blobs of water that covered Cole's burned skin and kept them in constant motion.

The silence returned.

Everyone was simply waiting for the next minute, hoping that it would be shorter than the last, while the thought of what Jay must have been suffering swirled vividly in their minds.

When the doors opened again, they could hear Jay's voice, soft and groaning, growing louder as they approached. When he finally came into view, they could all see many, many cuts and bruises and other such bloody wounds all over Jay's body; his shozoku was mostly undone, and hung loosely around his frame, revealing even more damaged skin.

Nya was the first to catch him when the Skulkens tossed him back into the cell, and Zane and Keaton help him over to where Ann was sitting so she could clean his wounds.

"You're becoming a regular nurse," Nya remarked to Ann, trying to lighten the mood a little, but the comment was not appreciated. Ann merely gave her a side glance that was very clearly not happy.

Kai suddenly felt something hard grasp his upper arm, then suddenly he was being pulled to his feet.

"Come on, human scum," the Skulken who was holding him said.

"Kai!" Nya cried. She hurried toward him, but by the time she had made it to the door, he was already on the other side. She grasped the metal bars and tears filled her eyes.

"Don't worry," Kai reassured her, as she became farther and farther away. "I'll be fine." He wished his voice hadn't caught as he said it, but even if it hadn't, he knew that nothing would stop his sister from worrying.

They half dragged Kai down the dark hallway and then passed two heavy door, decorated in blood rubies and ivory. On the other side was a fairly wide room, lit with more purple fire and teeming with all sorts of strange and terrifying devices. They stopped somewhere in the middle of it all and a third Skulken appeared.

"Is this the one with the Fire Keromine?" The third skeleton asked.

"Yes," the soldier on Kai's left said. "And he's a fairly feisty one, too."

The third Skulken smiled. "That's good. The feistier they are, the more they squirm."

Kai swallowed hard and felt his knees turn to jello, along with a flurry of other tangled up emotions, but mostly he was terrified beyond all reason.

The three soldiers brought him over to a large tub filled with water, and that's when Kai truly began to panic. He found himself digging in his heels and trying to wrestle out of his captors' firm hold, to which the Skulkens replied by yanking him forward and punching him in the stomach.

"Relax, boy. We'll only hurt you if you don't give us what we want," said the third soldier.

"No!" Kai shouted, sending ribbons of flame shooting out from his hands, loosening the Skulkens' grip on him long enough for him break free. For a moment, he was on the floor, trying to scramble away, but they grabbed him again and dragged him over to the tub. First, they tightened the chains connected to his wrists, which were connected to his waist cuff. So in short, his hands were clasped to his sides. Then, they picked him up and plopped him down in the water, letting it soak up to his shoulders as they got in next to him on either side. There was some sort of chain at the bottom of the tub which they attacked to his ankle cuffs, so he wasn't going anywhere.

"That should keep those pesky flames under control," said one Skulken.

His two escorts still had their hands firmly on him, prepared to... Kai didn't want to finish the thought.

"Now, let's start with a simple question. How did you get down here?" asked the third one. He walked slowly around the tub, letting the eerie light rise and fall off of his face.

Kai tried to be brave, and with every ounce of strength he could find in his trembling body, he replied, "I... I-I'm not... entirely sure..." he looked down at the water for a moment and then continued. "Th-there was a dragon... he brought us here."

"A dragon?" The Skulken sneered.

"We saw dragons, Kurai," said the soldier on Kai's right. "One at every temple."

"Which temple?" Kurai asked.

"Fire," Kai replied quickly.

The Skulkens all nodded to each other. Kai breathed a small sigh of relief. He was doing well so far. Or, at the very least, they hadn't _actually _tortured him yet.

"And where in the Underworld did you arrive on said 'dragon?'" Kurai continued.

"Um... in a... big clearing... there wasn't much around," Kai answered, keeping his eyes on Kurai as he paced around the tub.

"Who was with you?"

"Ann, Zane—"

"Confound it all! Do I look like I care about your pathetic friends' names?!"

"There were... three others."

Kai watched Kurai carefully, hoping that he wouldn't make him mad again. He seemed satisfied with his answer, and proceeded with the interrogation.

"How are you affiliated with Master Wu?"

Kai wasn't sure how to answer. This didn't seem like the kind of thing Wu would want them to know.

"Answer the question!" Kurai yelled, and Kai could feel the hands of the other two soldiers tightening.

"I—I... I was recruited!" he blurted. That seemed to get their attention. "Master Wu... needed me to... to..." he felt the Skulkens stare at him intensely, and he knew that if he didn't speak up soon... "He needed me to help get the... Sword of Fire." After a quick glance around the room, he added, "Because of my... Kero...mine?"

Kurai's frown deepened, but he looked more lost in thought than angry. Again, Kai let out a silent sigh.

"Now, since you brought up your Keromine, where exactly did you get it from?" Kurai asked, coming in front of him and leaning in closely.

Now Kai knew he was doomed. If their confrontation with the king was any indication, the Skulkens apparently didn't believe that people could be born with elemental powers. How was he supposed to answer? After a moment of trying to come up with a convincing lie, he finally just admitted that he knew nothing about how these powers worked, and Kurai would undoubtedly see right through him.

"I..." he started and prepared for the worst. "I was born with it."

Kurai glowered and grabbed Kai by his shirt.

"Humans don't have elemental powers," he growled.

"Well, maybe you don't know everything about humans?" Kai asked, regretting the words the moment hey left his big mouth.

"King Samukai has lived for thousands of years! He knows all! Including your kind. King Samukai has said that what you speak of is impossible!"

Kai closed his eyes and prayed for deliverance.

"Therefore, you are lying." Kurai looked extremely frustrated, and Kai suddenly wondered if he'd had this conversation with Cole and Jay. "I will give you one last chance, mortal. From where did you steal this power?"

There was no way out now. "I promise, I'm telling the truth! Apparently I was born with it!"

"Apparently?!" Kurai repeated.

"Well—I didn't know I had powers until Master Wu showed up!"

"And you expect me to believe that?!"

Suddenly, Kai was being pulled back. He barely had time to breathe before he was submerged. His head hit the hard bottom, and water filled his nose and ears. He wanted to scream, and he tried to get back up to the surface, but then the soldiers just pushed down harder. His chest was hurting and the more he panicked, the worse it got. Just when he thought he couldn't bare the suffocation any longer, they jerked him up and he gulped down a massive breath of air, along with a few sputtering coughs. He couldn't see anything with the water and his hair in his eyes, and he barely heard Kurai's next question.

"Don't lie to me, human. Tell me where your powers came from! The Sword of Fire? Some other ancient relic? Black magic? The Corridor of Elders? Speak!"

"I swear, I don't know! Please, you have to believe me!" Kai cried, shakier than ever.

Then it was back into the ice cold darkness.

"No, please!"

Kai was barely still awake when his two Skulken escorts dragged him out of the torture chamber soaking wet. Mostly, he was just happy to be breathing steadily again. He felt so tired, and his throat felt like sandpaper from all the screaming and coughing... and then there was the water dripping all over him, making him shiver in the cold of the Underworld.

Nya was waiting for him back in the cell, and caught him before he collapsed in a wet heap.

"What did they do to you?" she asked, laying him down next her.

Kai was too tired, and his voice was too thrashed, to form anything even close to a response.

"Probably some tamer form of water boarding..." Ann said from somewhere across the room.

The last thing Kai heard after that was the sound of Keaton begging the guards not to take her, Ann's strong voice piercing the silence, metal clanging, and then the cell door closing. He wondered if Keaton knew a lot more secrets than the rest of them, given that she was working directly with Wu, and he prayed that they wouldn't hurt her too badly. But if they did, he hoped she would have the strength to resist.

He faded in and out of consciousness, at times caught between dreams and reality, never quite knowing which was which. Sometimes, when the dreams settled, and darkness was all that he could see, it suddenly began to grow thick and cold and wet, and he couldn't breathe, and he needed air. Then his body would jolt, and he regained a bit of conscious thought. He would feel the dry air, the warmth of his sister, and breathe deeply through his nose. Then he would return to sleep, hoping that this time he might stay asleep.

Kai began to fall deeper and deeper under the water, darkness took over, the cold seeped into his skin, his lungs cried out in agony, and he jolted awake again. This time, however, he stayed awake.

The cell was quiet, and everyone was accounted for, although they all had some form of injury. Keaton looked badly bruised, and her left arm hung at an odd angle. Zane had several burns and what looked like dents in his skin. Ann and Nya were both barefoot and also had burn marks all over their bodies, and Ann was hard at work trying to sooth the many wounds around her, including her own.

Kai wasn't dripping anymore, but he was still very damp. That, combined with the chilly air, left his teeth chattering, but when he lit some flames to keep warm, half of everyone in the room flinched, so he kept it to a minimum.

"So this is where it ends?" asked Kai, his voice still very hoarse. "We're just gonna sit here... in pain... moping?"

"Well, what did you expect? A perfect adventure? A fun little journey with a fellowship of skilled warriors and friends, on our way to defeat the evil warlord? With a neat, happy ending, tied up with a ribbon?" Ann said sarcastically.

"Ann, please. Just stop," said Jay quietly. She looked at him and softened a bit, turning back toward her corner. "We don't need another reminder that we're..."

"Doomed, I think is the word you're looking for," Cole said, leaning forward a bit. He sighed loudly. "How did everything go so wrong?"

"Well, let's see, we managed to jump headfirst into the heart of enemy territory with no plan whatsoever," Jay summarised, revitalising what was left of his humour.

"That about sums it up," said Zane solemnly.

Kai looked around the room again. No. This wasn't right. This isn't how he was going down.

"I'm not gonna roll over and accept this," he said, and everyone looked up at him. "I refuse. I don't care if I die, at least I'll die fighting instead of drooling on the floor." He slowly got up on his shaky legs and looked around at his comrades. "We literally went from the frozen tip of the world to the inside of a volcano. We are elemental masters, for crying out loud! Why are we just sitting around?"

"We're outmatched, Kai," Zane said, standing up. "We can't win this one." He walked over and was about to lay a hand on Kai's shoulder, but Kai slapped it away.

"You don't know that," he retaliated. "All we need is a plan."

"What did you have in mind?" Nya asked, joining him.

Kai nervously glanced over his shoulder at the guards outside. "All right, huddle up," he said, urging everyone into the furthest corner of the cell. Surprisingly, no one resisted, but hardly any of them looked very hopeful.

"Okay, so we need an objective. If we're already here, we might as we'll go big and go for the golden weapons," said Kai.

"And how are we supposed to find them? We didn't exactly bringing a gold weapon detector," Cole pointed out.

"All we need to do is find out where the weapons are being held," Kai explained.

"They would have to be in the most secure place in the Underworld," Ann said, looking a little intrigued. "And possibly very near Garmadon."

"And this place is like a maze! We'll never find them," Cole pointed out.

"Maybe we will," Kai countered. Now he had everybody's attention. "You know how, when you held the weapon, it felt like it had thoughts?" He paused and waited for Jay, Cole, and Zane to nod, which they did, except for Zane who seemed a little confused. "And could you hear those thoughts from a distance?" Again, they nodded. "So all we need to do is find this... call, or whatever, the weapons are sending out and follow it."

"That could work," said Zane, a little unsure.

"But, uh, I think you all are missing one very important detail," Jay piped up. "The weapons are out there," he gestured beyond the cell bars, "and we're in here."

"Jay, come on, we have a guy who can literally hurl boulders. I don't think the bars should be much trouble," but as Kai said it, he looked over to Cole who didn't seem all that thrilled about the idea. "What?"

Cole shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you see, there doesn't seem to be any earth in this place. I have no idea what any of this stuff is made out of."

"So?"

"So, I'm used to just controlling the earth around me. I've never actually created any before. I don't even know if I can," Cole said

"Minor detail," Kai shrugged. "We can figure it out."

"Okay, well, how do we get to the weapons without getting caught again?" Jay asked, looking extremely unenthused about the idea.

"Well how about we actually be ninjas for a change?" said Kai with a grin.

The seven of them continued to talk about their plan for a few more minutes until one of the guards looked over and saw the, huddled together.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Are you whelps scheming? King Samukai demands no scheming! Stop at once!"

The ninja looked up at him, then looked at each other, smiled, and kept on talking.

"Are you IGNORING ME!?" the guard shrieked. "Stop this AT. ONCE! By order of... me!" He stuck his head through the bars and when the ninja kept on ignoring him, he opened the door and marched inside.

"Chopov, no!" said the other guard. "Wait for me!"

Once the two of them were inside, all the ninja leaped upon them and they were knocked unconscious in a matter of seconds. Ann stripped them of their armour while Jay and Nya gathered some black and white sludge from around the cell.

"I don't know what this is, but I'm gonna pretend it's not something gross," Nya squealed as she began to smear it all over Zane's face to make him look more like a Skulkin. He and Cole were chosen to wear the disguises because they had the biggest builds, similar to the real skeleton soldiers, and after their makeshift makeup was applied, Ann helped them into the armour.

"This is a great plan," Kai remarked.

"But what about Chopov and the other guy?" Keaton asked. Everyone turned to look at the two guards asleep on the floor.

"Here, I've got an idea," said Jay as he approached them. He took a bunch of mud from the walls and floor and smothered their bones with it to make them look like they had actual bodies, then found some grass-like stuff, slapped it over their heads, and called it good. "Tada!" he exclaimed when he was done.

"...I'm confused, what exactly are they?" Nya asked.

"Wha—they're Cole and Zane," Jay explained.

"Oh!"

"I can kinda see it."

"I guess that makes sense."

"My hair doesn't look like that."

"Guys. Let's go, we're wasting time," Ann pointed out.

"Uh, right! Right.. let's go!" said Cole and he puffed out his chest and began to lead the way.

Now that they had the guards' keys, they were also able to remove Cole and Zane's chains, but the plan was to make it look like they were escorting the others as prisoners, so unfortunately Ann, Keaton, Nya, Jay, and Kai all still had their chains firmly attached. They locked the cell behind them and started down the hallway—down the other direction for a change—and everyone felt some relief wash over them. And then the panic returned the moment they had to pass by other Skulkins.

"Keep your heads down," Ann muttered to the others. "And Keaton, stay close to me. Don't move your arm too much."

Cole was in the lead while Zane brought up the rear, making it look like they had the "prisoners" right where they wanted them. None of the other soldiers seemed to be suspicious, and walked right passed them, but that didn't stop Kai from sneaking a peak around every once in a while. Each Skulkin they passed seemed to be looking at them, inspecting them, judging them. How long would it be before they realised that Zane and Cole were only in disguises?

"Hey, Chopov!" One Skulkin squeaked at Cole as he passed by. "Where are you taking these low-lives? Someplace horrible, right?"

Cole seemed to panic for a minute, and then tried to do his best impersonation of Chopov as he could. "Uh—yes! Super scary but definitely non-lethal!" he cried in a weird, raspy voice. "But still bad enough to make these _mortals _wet their tiny pants!"

Kai looked up and frowned. _Okay maybe this _was _a bad idea... _he thought.

"Ha! Tiny pants! Good one, Chopov!" the other Skelton laughed, and then carried on. "See you at the resurrection ritual!"

"Yeah, see you... at that thing!" Cole replied, and then hurriedly tried to move on.

"Oh, and Chopov, be on the look out. Apparently there's another intruder on the loose!"

Cole nodded. "Will do!"

"Dude, worst impersonation ever," Jay whispered.

"Give me a break, I was never very good at improv," Cole countered. "And stop talking! You're a prisoner of war, not a talk show host."

"Both of you, shut! Remember what we're trying to do," Ann hissed. "Can you hear the... 'call?'"

Kai closed his eyes and tried to listen very carefully, but all he heard was the clinking armour and chains. He tried to be more in touch with his element. He began to warm his skin (mostly because he was cold) and tried to... he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but it felt right, so he trusted his instincts.

"I'm here" he seemed to be saying, and waited for any kind of response. Perhaps they were too far away?

_...k...kai..._

Kai opened his eyes. Was that it? He didn't want to lose it, so he closed his eyes again

_...Kai...uren...gregar...ig...grrrr..._

It sounded like complete gibberish, but it was the same gibberish that had come from the sword, so he followed it.

"Guys, turn left, down this hallway," said Kai after a while.

"Are you sure?" Ann asked.

"I... I think I hear something, too," said Cole, and they turned left.

This was the faintest they'd ever heard the voices, but even though they were in some other language and terribly quiet, it seemed to be laying out a path for them to follow.

They turned left, they turned right, went over bridges, big open spaces, tiny, dark tunnels, and finally they came to a tunnel so dark that even Kai's fire didn't reach very far.

"Wait," Kai said suddenly. He listened again for the voice.

_Uren gregarigrr, orgarni ogkurg un GROCK!_

The voice was so loud now, and he could feel its presence so acutely that he was sure it was only a few feet away.

Suddenly, a warm yellow light appeared in front of them, in the long shape... of a sword. Followed by a familiar, old voice.

"What in the name of The First Spinjitsu Master are you doing here!"


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The Next Step

"You're alive!" Was the very first thing Kai could say upon seeing his sensei again. But then everyone seemed to have something to say, and they said it all at once.

"This was not my idea! I was brought here against my will!" said Ann.

"Thank goodness, Sensei Wu! Please help us! Do you know how to get out of here?" Jay asked.

"I'm sorry, Sensei! Keaton, Jay and I are only here because of me," Cole was saying.

"How did you survive the fall?" Zane inquired.

"It's so good to see you again!" Keaton cried, and she rushed forward to hug him, which he did, but his gaze was still fixed on the others. His eyes were like daggers, and everyone seemed to shrink a bit. Kai's own throat went very dry the longer he stared.

"I assume that all the ruckus earlier was your doing?" The master speculated. He took everyone's silence as a "yes." "I want an explanation. Now."

"I was following your orders, Sensei. But things… took an unexpected turn," Ann Jing explained.

"The fire dragon took us," said Nya, right before Kai said,

"Dragons have some sort of teleporting power."

Wu looked far more stern now than he had before.

"And what about you three?" He asked, turning to Cole, Keaton, and Jay. They all shuffled uncomfortably for a moment.

"It was my fault, Sensei," said Cole, and he stepped forward. "I was the one who turned back, and… I made Jay and Keaton follow me."

Kai noticed Keaton, still clinging to Wu, lift her head up and look at Cole with big eyes. She let go and walked over so that she could lay one of her tiny hands on his large shoulder.

"I wanted to help you… but we ended up getting side tracked. We found a fleet of Skulkin…" Cole frowned, "…cars? And snuck in. It's my fault we're here." He lowered his head and felt one of the burns on his arm.

"But you're here. You must have a plan," Kai piped up, hoping to hear some good news.

"The only good news I have is that I was not captured due to your antics causing an enormous distraction," Wu replied. "You all have displayed reckless and irresponsible behaviour, and under other circumstances, I would punish all of you for your actions. However... you have all performed admirably to have come so far. Follow me. There are Golden Weapons to retrieve."

Wu turned around and started down the tunnel while the ninja followed in relief.

"So what's the plan, Sensei?" Kai asked.

"The weapons have proven very difficult to find in this labyrinthine fortress, but thanks to your shenanigans, their security led me straight to the chamber. I've simply been waiting for the correct time to strike," said Wu. His face was hidden in the darkness, but Kai could tell he was frowning. "Their guards are too numerous for me to take on alone, but you six should be able to distract them long enough—"

"Seven," Nya corrected.

"What?" Wu asked, stopping to look around. "Who said that?"

"I did."

Wu had to lean in very close using the light of the sword to see Nya's face, dirty and frightened.

"Who are you?" he asked, confused.

"This is my sister," said Kai, coming up next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Nya," she clarified. "Nice to meet you."

"Ah. Nice to meet you, too," Wu said as he stroked his beard. "This complicated things..." He thought for a moment, then said, "This way." He led them to a specific place in the tunnel wall where—when Wu placed his hand on what looked like solid stone—he passed right through it, making a squishy, slimy sort of sound. Ann followed without missing a beat, but the rest of them were hesitant.

Kai stepped forward carefully and reached out to poke at the wall then scrunched up his nose when he felt the cold, wet surface. But Wu was waiting for them, and a Skulkin could walk down the hall at any moment, so he closed his eyes, held his breath, and prepared for the worst. He pushed his arms through first, and felt them get sucked into the thick material. He shivered as his torso, legs, and head followed.

The wall was thin, and he reached the other side within two seconds, but the slimy sensation didn't go away, leaving his skin crawling. Nya and the others came one by one, and none of them looked happy about it.

The room on the other side wasn't very big, and with all of them crammed in together, there wasn't much room to move.

"Nya, and anyone else who desires, may stay in here until we come to retrieve you after the battle is over," Wu explained. He paused to let anyone speak up, but they were all silent.

Kai, for one, wasn't planning on giving up just yet. Now that his sister was safe, he had one less thing to worry about, too. He was more than a little surprised by himself, actually. For the entirety of the journey, he had been solely focused on finding Nya, but even though he had accomplished his mission, he still wanted to keep fighting.

"We don't stop until Garmadon and King Samukai are gone for good." Kai was shocked at his own steady voice, ringing out across the silence. He felt much braver than he had in a long time, despite what they were about to go do.

"Very well." Wu didn't exactly sound thrilled, but he wasn't upset either.

In any case, they needed to turn their attention toward the coming battle. Wu walked them through the lay-out of the scene and how they were going to take on the Skulkins. The weapons were located in the King's palace, somewhere Garmadon would have easy access to them. But that was for Wu to worry about. The others were going to be out in the main courtyard area, which was surrounded by a bottomless pit—moat. All they needed to do was barge in, causing a commotion, and hold their own until Wu got to the weapons.

Since they were without weapons (except for the spear and sword that they grabbed off of Chopov & company) they were going to have to rely mostly on their powers. Meanwhile Ann and Keaton were given the weapons, as they had actual training. The two of them, plus Zane, would lead the attack, with Cole, Jay, and Kai providing support. Zane and Cole would also be providing defence in the form of walls and shields. With Wu's final words, they all nodded to each other in agreement.

Just as they were walking back out of the small room, Nya grabbed Kai's arm and held him back for a minute.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked, feeling her tremble. He lit a ball of fire and saw her face; etched with worry.

"It's just... everything that's happened... it's all gone by so fast. You almost died several times. A-and now you're going out again, risking your life, and—what if this time you don't come back?" Her eyes were wet with tears, and when she tried to wipe them away, she ended up smudging her dirty face. "What am I supposed to do if you're not there, at home, in the forge? I only just got you back!"

"Shh, shh," Kai said quietly, and he extinguished his flame so that he could hug her. "It's gonna be okay. When we get home, I promise we'll watch the fireflies every night, and we can finally buy that nice dress you always wanted, and we can go into town and have some _real_ melonpan made by Mrs. Nakamura." That earned a laugh from Nya, who had buried her face in his black, shredded shozoku. "I promise. One day, everything will be just like it used to be."

Nya sniffed. "I love you."

Kai was caught a little off guard, because this wasn't something they ever really said to one another, but it was true. And it was just the thing he needed to hear. "I love you, too," he replied, holding her closer.

After a while, Kai roused himself from this touching scene and bid his sister a final goodbye before he rejoined the others outside. But she was on his mind the entire time, and he was going to be fighting for her, as well as his parents, who were still out there somewhere.

He took a deep breath and Wu disappeared into the shadows all around, leaving the ninja to make their way to the courtyard alone. Cole, Ann, and Jay were at the front, while he, Zane, and Keaton were at the back. The light of another room came into view two minutes later and that's when Ann signalled for them to stop. She sent Keaton forward to scout, and she returned shortly with a long description of the guards' positions.

"Our main objective is to keep the entrance to the palace clear," said Ann. "Keep the fighting close to the tunnel entrance or out in the open. Keep their attention."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Jay commented. "I've been told I'm very distracting."

Cole gave a small chuckle and Ann actually grinned a little.

"Keaton will provide the most important support. If you're in trouble, send up a single shot of element, like a signal flare." Ann went for a minute longer, and then it was time to move.

They marched bravely into the courtyard and Kai flinched as the bright, purple flame-light hit his eyes, then he saw the Skulkin guards stop and look at them in shock. The courtyard was much larger than he thought, and the darkness below them looked very daunting, indeed. This was it.

"For Ninjago!" Kai cried, and they plunged themselves into the newborn battle.

The Skulkins—being taken by surprise—fell quickly at first. Ann led the charge, swiping water whips and piercing armour with her sword. Zane shot out daggers of ice that pierced bone and sent the soldiers to the ground.

meanwhile, Kai focused on really using his powers. A Skulkin came charging at him from his side and he barely had enough time to react. He put out both hands and felt the familiar heat rise up in his stomach, through his chest, down his arms, and burning out of his fingers. The Skulkin was taken by surprise and began screeching in pain. He ran off, presumably trying to find some water. With the confidence he was building, Kai went after another soldier.

"Kai, look out!" Cole yelled over the noise.

On his left, another Skulkin was charging, his sword about strike. Suddenly, large, bulky stalagmites appeared out of the ground in a strait line very quickly. When it hit the guard, it grew so large that it sent him flying up into the air, breaking into a million pieces when he came crashing down.

Kai was so distracted by this, that he didn't see his original target coming at him. But Cole's stone snake wasn't done yet. The ground beneath Kai's feet began to shake, then suddenly he was up in the air, flipping backwards over the Skulkins' heads. Relying mostly on instinct, Kai shot out wild flames and somehow cushioned his fall, sending a fire wave bursting from all around him.

"COME AND GET ME!" Jay shouted, appearing out of nowhere and electrocuting three Skulkins who were standing relatively close together. Kai stood behind him, back to back, shooting more flames and keeping the other Skulkins at bay. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a glimpse of Sensei Wu slipping into the temple, but then he saw Ann being overpowered somewhere up ahead.

"Ann!" he yelled, running forward. He lit two parallel walls of fire on either side of himself, to keep any unwanted threats out, then climbed up a large mound of earth and ice. Taking a good look at the situation, he jumped feet first into the chaos. He landed on one of the Skulkin's backs and wrapped his arms around the solider's neck, holding on tight and clenching his jaw at he turned up his body heat.

"Yippy-Kai-yay, bone head!" Kai cried, not letting go until he was off of Ann.

Soon, the skeleton was on fire and Kai turned him into a projectile with another wave of fire. He bowling-balled into the rest of his Underworld friends.

"Thanks," Ann said quickly, before throwing her sword at a Skulkin behind Kai.

Kai heard one of the guards say something about the palace, and he immediately lit a fire fence, blocking off the path to its main entrance. But now he was beginning to regret making it. He suddenly felt very tired, and needed to catch his breath.

He jumped when a large, stone wall erupted next to him. Presumably, Cole has seen incoming danger, and had just saved his life. He would have liked to thank Cole, but he couldn't seem to find him in the chaos all around. Besides, he had other things to worry about. Like the giant spiders slowly propelling down from the black ceiling.

"Guys! What do we do about those things?" Kai yelled, hoping someone would hear.

They were at least eleven feet tall, with large, poison-filled fangs, and eight bulbous eyes. Their bodies were thick and hairy, but they didn't seem to be able to move very fast.

"Um, find a very big shoe?" Cole suggested.

Jay, however, charged right ahead, screaming, "SUPER ELECTRIC BLAST!" and he jumped into the air, firing off the biggest blast he had managed to conjure yet. Which still wasn't that big, but it felt like a major accomplishment at the time.

"What is he doing?!" Ann shrieked.

But even as she said it, the electricity from Jay landed right between the spider's eyes and shocked its brain, sending it reeling back. Kai gave an enthusiastic chuckle and ran to Jay's side.

"Come on," he said. "Let's roast these bugs!"

"Actually, they're not—" Zane started, but he was cut off by advancing Skulkin soldiers.

Kai and Jay raced up to the next spider and together they unleashed a new kind of attack. When Kai's fire and Jay's lightning met in the open air, they began to swirl together, their energies combined into a flaming laser that burned through the spider entirely.

"That... was... AWESOME!" Jay cheered, gasping for air. Kai was doing the same, but he didn't have nearly as much energy as Jay. His limbs began to feel very tired, and his reactions were sluggish.

"Pay attention, you two!" said Zane, coming up behind them and creating a new barrier to protect them from another spider.

"Sorry," Kai breathed, and he tried to stand up straighter, ignoring his screaming lungs.

"Woah, was that an apology?" Cole jeered, coming over as well. He was throwing boulders left and right and looked extremely tired as well. "I didn't know you had a heart, Kai!"

"Keep your eyes on the blood-thirsty spider, will you?" Kai asked, annoyed, but unable to hide his grin.

"Yeah, the spiders probably have more heart than you do," Cole went on. "If you asked, they might even give you a hug." He put up a rock shield to protect him from the giant arachnid limbs crashing down around him.

"Yeah, with their fangs!" Jay remarked. "Ahh!" One spider nearly got a bite out of him, but Zane froze its head before it got the chance.

More and more Skulkins and spiders pressed in, pushing the boys closer and closer together. At one point, Kai and Zane happened to fire off an attack at the same time, and like what had happened with Jay earlier, their powers seemed to glob together into an even more powerful attack.

"Uh, not to bring the mood down, or anything, but we need a new plan here," Cole said, summoning another, larger barrier and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I don't know how much more I can take."

"Come on!" Jay shouted. "We can take 'em! FOR NINJAGO!" He rushed another spider, who ended up smacking him with one of its hairy legs, leaving him clutching his stomach on the ground. "You know what? I think we might need a plan," he said, wincing.

Kai roles his eyes. "I think I've got something." The others turned to him.

"Spill it!" Cole said, fighting off yet another soldier.

"Each time I did an attack with Jay and Zane, our powers got stronger," Kai explained. "So that means, if we all attack at once, it should be huge! Big enough to wipe the floor with these knuckle heads!"

"Let's do it!" Jay exclaimed.

"Sounds better than anything else I could come up with," said Cole.

"That seems like a reasonable strategy," Zane concurred.

"How do we do it?" Jay asked.

"I don't know—uh, get closer together for starters," said Kai.

Cole and Zane made a complete shelter for them while they figured this out. Through the ice, they could see the angry Skulkens and disgusting spiders watching them in anger. They formed something of a circle (or square, depending on how you look at it) back to back.

"Now what?" Cole asked.

Kai looked down and saw Jay's hand next to him. He reached down and grabbed it firmly. Jay looked up at him in surprise at first, but then nodded with confidence. Jay then grabbed Cole's hand, who grabbed Zane's hand and so on. Before long, all of their arms were interlocked.

"Next step, please, before I look like an idiot," Jay said impatiently.

"Too late," Cole quipped.

"Just focus on the Skulkins and spiders, and... start using your powers," Kai said, hoping that what he was saying made any sense, or would actually work. He closed his eyes and brought the fire back up through his body. For a long moment, all he felt was the energy, pulsing all around him, and then he felt something new in his right hand. It felt like a constant zap of static electricity, stinging his hand over and over again, and in his left hand, an icy chill that made his skin go numb. But neither of these things felt bad; they felt like pure energy, pooling and mixing together.

From their hands, streams of elements began to shoot out, all combined like Kai's other attacks. They spiralled up and and up until they met high above the boys, merging into one unified beam which pierced the ice-and-earth shell and sent in crumbling to the ground. Then it grew larger and wilder, sweeping up the Skulkins and the spiders and disintegrating them, or pushing them off the edge of the the stone ground and into the bottomless moat.

But the longer they all held on, the more Kai was sure that his body would tear in two. Eventually he couldn't hold on any longer, and he yanked his hands free of the others. His legs collapsed under his own weight, and he fell to the floor, beads of sweat dripping from his skin. He took large breaths, and coughed a few times, trying to let his body sort itself out.

"Are you boys all right?" Ann asked, rushing over. "What just happened?"

"We... we... all... powers..." Cole murmured, clearly too exhausted for cohesive thought.

"Well, Zane, do you think you could help me for a moment?" Ann asked, lifting Zane to his feet. She plugged the tunnel entrance with water and then had Zane freeze it, which was the very last ounce of energy he had before he finally passed out.

"That should keep us safe for now," Kai heard Ann say. "That and the wall of fire over there."

Kai was lying on his back with his eyes closed, just listening to his own breathing. He had no idea that using his powers could be so draining, but at the very least they'd managed to completely defeat the Skulkins. He snickered as a thought came to him: in the end, they were stronger together


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The End?

Wu ran down hallway after hallway, searching for a sign of life. Finding his way had turned out to be impossible, and his only hope was apprehending a Skulkin who knew where the weapons were being held.

Two Skulkins came into view ahead of him, blissfully unaware that they were just about to get blind sighted by an eight hundred year old spinjitsu master. They were pinned instantly, then Wu demanded information. The soldiers were terrified and told him right away that Garmadon was in the throne room on the floor below.

"Thank you, gentlemen," said Wu. Then he used the Sword to light a fire fence around them to keep them from attacking or warning anybody and disappeared around a corner.

In the back of his mind, Wu's thoughts were with the children fighting on his behalf and he felt his heart stiffen. He had never intended for anything of this magnitude to happen to them, and if they were hurt in any way, he knew he'd never be able to forgive himself. Especially young Jay, whose parents had trusted him with their son's life. It hadn't been easy to convince them all those years ago, and the pain in their eyes the last time he saw them...

No. He needed to focus on what was happening right now, he needed a clear his mind, free of guilt and doubt.

A door approached him, large and round. He slowed to a stop and stood for a moment, bracing for another confrontation. There was a small golden flash from his hand and then he opened the door with the click of a key. The moment the doors began to part, Wu slid three small orbs along the throne room floor and they began to release a blue gas, filling the room in a matter of seconds. The sound of several bodies hitting the floor gave Wu the confidence to step inside, breathing in the gas which was only harmful to the, now unconscious, skulken soldiers. He waded his way carefully into the blue unknown, silence.

Then, a voice.

"Hello, brother."

Wu closed his eyes in dread, then turned to where the voice had come from. The room was set ablaze with purple light shining through the thick layer of gas in the air, but in the midst of it all was a pair of bright red eyes.

"Garmadon," said Wu stoically. As the gas began to clear, he could see the Lord of Darkness sitting on a large thrown looking far too happy to see his little brother. "What have you done with the other weapons?" Wu continued.

Garmadon laughed coldly. "It's not 'what I have done', little brother. It's 'what you have done.'"

"And what is that?" Wu asked.

"Reunited them."

From somewhere beyond the mist, another figure emerged. There were three weapons in his bony hands, glowing tauntingly in the eerie light, and he was walking closer and closer. It was impossible not to recognize the Skulken King's hideous face, but by the time his face in view, the Scythe in his right hand was already swinging downward. It landed on the ground with an awful clanging sound, but Wu was not touched by it. He had leapt out of the way moments before it had came close to him, and he now stood a good few feet away, boldly brandishing his Sword.

"Samukai," Wu exclaimed. "I would never have expected someone so prodigious to be grovelling at the feet of my brother."

Samukai scrunched up his face into a glower and sneered at Garmadon before raising the Daggers and shooting off a wave of icicles aimed at Wu's head. Wu easily used the Sword to counter attack with a wave of icicle-melting fire, then charged Samukai who blocked his attack with the Scythe, dead-locking them both.

"I never would have thought of it myself," the king answered, getting a good look at Wu. He pulled away swiftly then came at him just as fast, and Wu's only choice was to dodge. "You halflings are so beneath me." He twirled the Nunchucks quickly in the air for a moment, collecting more and more energy that buzzed and cracked above him, then shot the weapon forward, sending a blast of light with it.

Wu, however, in a wild state of panic, summoned a tendril of flame and, with the sword as a guide, swung at the blinding light and re-directed it like a baseball. The two elements crashed together and began intertwining as they hit the wall with a terrible explosion.

"But I must say," the king went on, advancing. Wu shot off a wave of fire, causing the king to erect a stone shield. "Finding your father's little trinket and taking my throne back was an offer I couldn't refuse." The fire passed and Samukai launched the slab of stone toward the last place he had seen Wu, but the only sound he heard was that of stone breaking. In a flash, there was a fence of fire all around him, and an out-of-breath Wu came walking up toward him, his sword still alight with bright yellow flames.

"What Garmadon promised, he can't deliver," said Wu, glowering at his brother for good measure. Garmadon was still in his seat, observing the whole ordeal from a distance. "No one knows the whereabouts of our father's grave. You'll never find the crystal."

"You measure wit through the lens of a bumbling human. I am no human," Samukai replied. He lifted up the ring of earth which Wu had set on fire and launched it over his head and right at Wu who wasn't quick enough this time and it hit him in the shoulder as the flying ring passed by. He was knocked to the ground and as he was about to get up, Samukai raised the Scythe high above him, ready to strike.

"Wait," Garmadon said firmly.

"What?!" Samukai barked. "You would let this weakling live?!"

"I want him... to watch." Garmadon didn't raise his voice a single decibel, but the intensity of his words was clear, and Samukai lowered the Scythe. "Now, bring me the Weapons, as we agreed."

Wu watched, horrified, as the Skulken King reached down and snagged the Sword from him, finally uniting all four Weapons. There was a visible change that came over him, a glow of confidence and power. Then he released a cruel chuckle.

Samukai turned and walked back over to where Garmadon was still sitting and said, "Oh, you naive sap. You utter hatchling of a leader! To think that the King of the Underworld would just hand you the single most powerful relics in the universe is by far the most amusing thing I've heard in over five thousand years!" Armed to the teeth, he marched up to the foot of Garmadon's throne and his rotting face twisted into a smile, but Garmadon didn't seem worried. In fact, he didn't even flinch.

"Didn't I plan for this?" he asked menacingly. In one motion, he stood and lifted his left hand up, throwing a blast of purple energy toward the gloating Samukai.

Wu got to his knees as quickly as possible, but he blinked at just the wrong time, and before him now was a horrible scene. Samukai was still standing, clutching onto the Weapons for protection, and a stone shield with a hole melted through it separated him and Garmadon.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!" the Skulken King screamed his suit of armour started to rust and flake away followed by his bones turning black and falling apart from the ribcage onward. One by one, his hands disappeared into a pile of rubble; one weapon for each pile now scattered on the floor alongside a handful of jewels.

"Are you mad?" Wu cried. "You've just killed the king of an entire civilisation!"

"No, I bore witness to the untimely death of a king who fell at the hands of a certain, human warrior." Garmadon gave a smug glance at his brother who was still on the floor. He then stooped down and picked up the Sword.

"Garmadon, you know that the Weapons will destroy you!" said Wu, desperately trying to get back up to his feet.

"Poor, little Wu. Always one step behind," Garmadon chastised. "Father said that if any mortal tried to wield them, they would perish. You and I both know that we are far from mortal."

Wu watched, horrified, as his brother picked up the Scythe and then the Daggers, and finally the Nunchucks in one of his four hands. He waited with baited breath for the worst to happen, but apart from what looked like minor burns, Garmadon was still very much alive.

"Bow before your new emperor," Garmadon said, glaring at Wu.

"I do not bow to lesser men."

Garmadon was fuming. He raised the Weapons high above his head, ready to wipe Wu from the face of the earth, when suddenly an invisible force stopped him. He seemed frozen in place, unable to deliver the final blow. There was a stiff wind blowing around them, too, and not from any natural source. That's when Wu noticed the Weapons were glowing a deep red colour.

"What is this?" Garmadon shrieked. "Some sort of trick? Are you doing this?"

Wu was at a loss for words and stared as a large, swirling vortex began to appear out of thin air behind Garmadon. It churned and gurgled and grew large enough to fit three men inside of it, then it seemed to pull Garmadon backwards toward it. He screamed in protest, but nothing he did—no amount of superhuman strength—could stop it.

"Garmadon!" Wu yelled, rushing up to him and offering his hand, but the warlord refused. "Don't be a fool!"

"I don't want your help!" Garmadon snapped back, even as his torso was being swallowed up.

Bit by bit, his body was engulfed by the swirling, inky material, until finally his head and arms where the only things left.

"This is not the end, Wu! I will conquer Ninjago, and the day I do, you'll die an unimaginable de—"

Garmadon's body vanished from sight, but the weapons didn't go with him. They were unable to pass through the portal and Garmadon lost his grip on them. Now they fell to the floor again, lifeless and dim, just like the portal as it slowly faded away. But Garmadon's final words still rattled through Wu's head for several minutes afterwards.

The fight was over, and now was a time of rejoicing. The leader of the invading army was dead, and his followers would likely scatter soon enough, and... who was Wu kidding? Despite all of the awful circumstances, he had just witnessed his brother get sucked into a portal, presumably leading into another realm. It had to have been one of his father's safety measures. There were so many things that he had not told the two boys... so many secrets... Wu wondered if perhaps some events could have been avoided if his father had only been more honest with them.

Wu got to his feet slowly and gathered the weapons, careful not to let them touch his bare skin, and preventing himself from using their power, even a little. Now he needed to find the children and get back to Ninjago before the Skulkins found out about any of this.

He began his journey back to the courtyard, a heavy weight bearing down on him every step of the way.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The Vow of the Ninja

Kai was still very weak when Wu returned to them all, and each moment seemed to blur into the next. He was just so exhausted. Everything he'd done, everything he'd seen, not only left his mind throbbing, but also left his body so sore that he felt limp.

"Samukai and... Garmadon, have been dealt with," Wu had said. "Come. We must now return home."

Ann Jing had created four water beds to carry them, and Kai drifted off as they went until Nya was retrieved. She rushed to his side at once, checking his temperature, searching for any significant wounds, and generally just worrying about him. He smiled and tried to reassure her.

"Nya, we've won. We're going home," he said.

The large group had to fight their way to the vehicle room so they could get back home, which wasn't that easy with so many of their biggest fighters incapacitated, but Wu, Ann, and Keaton were still formidable opponents no matter what they were facing.

There weren't many Skulkin vehicles left thanks to Cole, Jay, and Keaton, but they did manage to find one large enough for all of them. Kai felt Ann lower him into one of the seats but his body fell to one side, landing on someone else's shoulder. A moment later he felt someone else lay their head on his shoulder and the warmth of all the bodies felt so nice and comforting after everything he'd just been through. They then sped away into the void, back to Ninjago before anyone could stop them.

Ninjago was in full summer bloom when they returned. Warm sunshine, green trees, vibrant flowers, birds, bees, and good food. News of Garmadon and Samukai's disappearance spread fast, and without any central leadership, the Skulkin army was completely disorganised. A few strategic moves by the Emperor and they began to retreat to the southern coast. Many celebrated in the streets, thinking that the war was finally over, and great parties were thrown, feasts and dances, to commemorate this great victory. Little did they know, however, that their struggles had only just begun.

Kai first opened his eyes back in his room at the monastery where a sleepy Nya was waiting for him. She looked like she hadn't moved from his bedside for hours, maybe even days, with her hair all stringy and greasy, and her clothes all rumpled.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

Nya's head snapped up and she let out a whoop of joy as she tackled her big brother with a hug.

"Easy, easy!" Kai cried, wincing a bit. "I still need this body, you know."

"I'm glad you're okay," Nya said quietly. "For a little while I... I thought that... maybe..."

"What? You doubted your amazing big brother?" Kai teased as they pulled away from each other and he looked her in the eyes. "And after all of the incredible stuff I did, too. Did you, or did you not see me fighting Lord Garmadon?"

"Kai, he stabbed you," Nya pointed out.

He chuckled a bit and sat up straighter, then flinched as a pain suddenly flared up in his chest.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly worried again.

Kai slowly reached down to grab the hem of his shirt, and when he pulled it up, a massive scar below his left pectoral was revealed. It still looked like it was scabbing over in some places and the skin around it was red. He poked at it gently with one finger and the pain bit back.

"Doctor Lee says it'll heal in time, but whatever the Fire Dragon did was kind of undone when we were in the Underworld," Nya explained.

Kai lowered his shirt and gave his sister warm smile.

"It's all right," he said. "Like you said, it'll heal. How's everyone else doing?"

"Jay's still out like a lightbulb, but Cole and Zane have been up for a few hours. They actually stopped by to check on you a little while ago."

A happy feeling rose up in Kai's chest after hearing that, although he didn't quite understand why, and he decided that he would get up and return the favour to them.

He found Cole and Zane walking out of Wu's office on the fifth floor and they ran to meet each other.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Cole laughed, giving Kai a half-bro hug. "Finally done with your beauty sleep?"

"It's good to see you too," Kai said sarcastically.

"Is Jay still unconscious?" Zane asked as they began walking downstairs together.

"Yeah, he is," said Kai. "He's been through a lot."

"We all have," Cole corrected. "It was worth it, though."

"I mean... before, the coolest thing I'd ever done was fitting eight dumplings in my mouth, but now I can say that I've traveled to another realm, ridden on a dragon, and survived a flipping iceberg." Kai retold their adventures with such child-like enthusiasm that it almost sounded uncharacteristic of him. He couldn't help but notice this himself and he cleared his throat suddenly. "I mean, you know, it's... it's just really cool."

"Definitely not something I ever expected would happen to me," said Cole. Then he frowned. "When did you ride on a dragon?"

Kai's eyes lit up as he realised that there were some things they each didn't know about specific parts of their adventure and he eagerly told them both of how he tamed the mighty beast and fought beside him against Garmadon, before finally taking them to the Underworld. By the time he was finished, they had made it back to their rooms where Jay was finally up and awake. They all settled down his Jay's room and talked for a long time, recounting their tales and reliving their victories until the evening bell rang.

Between the four of them, they managed to eat six rice bowls, four bowls of tempura udon noodles, nine platters of sushi, and a healthy heaping of cooked vegetables, come dinner time that night. They talked and laughed together for hours at the table, and before long, Kai began to feel a familiar sensation welling up inside of him; an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time. It warmed his whole body from somewhere deep in his stomach and sent tingles across his skin, until finally a wide grin spread across his face.

"You couldn't have sounded any corny-er!" Cole snorted at Jay, referring to their final battle in the Underworld. "'Lightning power blast!' Oh, look at me, I'm the thunder king!"

The table, being high on good feelings, erupted with laughter, and several tears of joy were shed.

"No, no, lightning king, please. If I was the thunder king it would have played out much differently!" Jay joked and everyone laughed again.

"But we need to come up with a name for our epic power move," said Kai, thinking back for a moment. "Maybe something like, 'ultra-elemental-wave?'"

"Or 'mass of flying mud?'" Jay suggested which earned him another round of snickers.

"Well, more like 'mass of flying frozen mud and energy,'" Zane corrected, rolling up his sleeves and leaning against the table.

"Too wordy, we need something snappy," said Cole, reclining a little.

"I got it!" Kai cried. "Whirlwind of power!"

Everyone laughed, but more at him than with him.

"I thwink I pwefer 'flering mass of mud,'" said Jay through a mouthful of prawns.

"Flirting mass of mud? What?!" Cole choked, and the laughter started again.

"Chew your food, Jay!" Kai chortled.

"I said, 'flying'!" Jay corrected, snorting up a storm like the rest of them, and nearly choking on his food, which only made the laughter worse.

Clearly they were lost to that blissful state of euphoria when everything seems funnier than it really is, but who could blame them? After all they'd been through, suddenly this moment came bursting in like a warm ocean wave on a cold beach. Kai especially didn't want it to end for all the flying mud in the world, but nights don't last forever. Soon the boys were forced to head to bed by none other than Ann who seemed both happy and anxious. She came in, told Kai that Nya was sleeping soundly in a very nice room they made up especially for her, and then asked them to meet in Wu's office immediately after breakfast the next morning.

When Kai turned off the lights and pulled his blanket over his shoulders, preparing for a very good night of sleep, a single thought pulsated through his head: I'm going home soon.

'Warm summer nights, good food, my own bed...," he thought. "Oh, well, I suppose it won't be that soon. After all, we do still need to find Mom and Dad. Man, I can't wait to show the guys Harper Vale, and the smithy, and the falls by the house, and... and..." Kai's throat felt tight as he suddenly realised that what he was thinking about would never come to pass. He had assumed that the four of them would be together on his journey to finding his parents, but the others had lives too, and they'd probably be going home just like he was... some very far away... and they'd probably never see each other again... at least for a long while. Kai turned over to one side, trying not to think about that too much. It didn't matter, anyway. It was't like he cared about these guys very much. He'd be fine without them.

The next morning, Kai got up and eagerly headed down to breakfast where he gave a big hug to Nya and sat down next Keaton and Jay. Everyone was there—even Ann—and although it wasn't quite as fun as last night, it was still a very good last meal together. Or at least, Kai assumed that it would be their last, on account that Wu had summoned them to have what he presumed to be the 'farewell' speech.

In one, large group, chatting and laughing, the seven of them made their way through the monastery and up to one of the highest levels of the building. Ann opened the door, and they all spilled into the room where they found Wu sitting quietly at his desk. He smiled and his wrinkly face seemed to scrunch up happily.

"I'm glad to see all of you here, together," the old master said, rising to his feet. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... well, all good things must come to an end at some point or another." He walked up closer to them and Kai could tell that he wouldn't like whatever it was that he was about to say. "You have all fought valiantly over these past weeks... with more bravery, honour, and resilience than I ever expected from such young ones." He looked over each one of them as he spoke, intending his words for everyone equally; even Nya, who hadn't been a member of the party for very long. "Seeing you here, today, knowing all that you have accomplished, even as novices, makes my heart swell with pride." Kai had to grin when he heard that. "But, as I said, nothing can last forever. Garmadon is gone for now, the Golden Weapons are under lock and key, and the Skulkin army is being dealt with. So you see, your purpose here has been fulfilled. The mission is completed. And now it is time for—"

"Sensei, with all due respect, you can't seriously be sending us home, can you?" said Cole suddenly. He stepped forward and approached his master pleadingly.

Wu sighed. "Young Cole, you're still only a child, with a bright future ahead of yourself. I would not wish you to continue to endure the horrors you had to bear witness to on this journey ever again."

"But... we'd still be able to see each other again, right?" Jay asked, his eyes flooded with sadness.

That seemed to be the question that Wu had been dreading to hear. He sighed again and remorsefully said, "Unfortunately... no."

"What?"

"Why not?"

Wu raised a hand and they all quieted.

"The entire purpose of the masks you wore, and the secrecy of our mission, was to protect your identities from certain... unsavoury characters," he explained. "Having you meet together—especially after an unknown number of Skulkins found out your identities—would only arouse suspicion."

"So, what, we just go back to our boring old lives and pretend this never happened?" Cole countered. There was hurt in his voice, Kai noticed.

"Yes," said Wu. "You needn't concern yourselves with these stressful matters ever again."

"But I don't want to leave!" Jay exclaimed.

"Neither do I," Cole chimed in.

"And we still need to find my parents," Kai reminded him, inching closer to Nya.

"Now that the war is over, my village is safe," Zane said, stepping forward. "I have no other calling. I would be honoured to train under such a renowned master." He dropped down on both knees and everyone stood stock still.

"Me too," Cole agreed, dropping down beside Zane. "I've never been good at anything my whole life until now. I don't want to give that up... I don't want to give my friends up. Please, allow me to be your student."

Jay was quiet for a little while, deep in thought, then said, "I've never really had... friends before." He looked around and his eyes found Kai, then Nya, and finally Ann and Keaton. "I may have a lot to learn... but I... I just have this feeling... a feeling that... this is where I belong." And he knelt beside Cole.

Kai nearly felt choked up as realised that he knew exactly what Jay meant. That feeling from the night before... it was belonging. The reason he couldn't quite identify it was because the last time he felt it was well over two years ago. He realised that he had been kind of a jerk when he had first met everyone, way back when, but things were different now. They had fought beside one another. Saved each other's lives. Something like that... you don't just throw it away.

"I'm staying, too," Kai said confidently. "To find my parents, to fight beside my friends... my brothers," he looked Wu dead in the eye. "And to protect my home from any other warlords or monsters or any other knuckle heads who think they can mess with us."

Kai knelt, bending over until his face nearly touched the floor, but like the others, he wouldn't pull up from his bow until he heard Wu's answer.

"Please, Master Wu. Be our Sensei," said Cole.

Kai thought he heard Wu make some sort of whimper and he thought that maybe they had moved him with this staggering display of loyalty. The seconds ticked by, each one seemingly longer than the next, and Kai thought he might explode with suspense as he waited for Wu's reply.

"You must commit your whole self," Wu warned.

Kai and the others looked up with baited breath.

"You will face unimaginable dangers, and many horrors," he continued. But none of them flinched. "It will be the hardest thing you've ever done. You may not see your families for months or years at a time." Only Jay seemed to waver, but merely for a moment. "This is a decision that will define you for the rest of your lives. Come now, do you really expect me to believe that after a few weeks you're ready to pledge yourselves to the way of the ninja?"

"Yes," all four of them said in unison, confidently and boldly.

There was a new feeling swirling through Kai's gut now. It excited him and gave him the courage to say, "I know now that this is my purpose. I know that it won't be easy... in fact, there'll probably be times when I hate myself for making this decision... but I'm here to stay."

"We're here to stay," Zane corrected.

Kai looked at him and smiled, then turned back to Wu who seemed utterly stunned. He gave an uneasy laugh and said, "Let's see how you feel after a month of intensive training." They all grinned as Wu walked over to a shelf with many drawers near its base. He opened one and pulled out four neatly folded shozoku in black, white, red, and blue. "I had a feeling I'd be needing these," he muttered. Then he walked back to the, and looked each of them over very carefully. "Do you, Cole Becket, Kai Rayson, Zane Julian, and Jay Walker, swear to commit your undying loyalty to the way of the ninja? To never betray your master, brothers, sisters, or Emperor to the enemy no matter what it may cost you?"

Together they said, "I swear."

"Do you swear to report to your master, whoever it may be, any and all knowledge which you possess? To divulge all new information, skills, and weapons to him without question?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to never speak a word of what you see or hear in your acts of espionage and spying to any living soul besides your intended superiors? To be bound in silence even with your own family?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to honour the way of the ninja, by never stealing, cheating, or killing unless explicitly ordered to? Never using your newfound skills for personal gain?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to never pass on your knowledge to any who have not pledged themselves to the path you now take on? To never disclose this information even to your own blood?"

"I swear."

"And are you prepared to die for your cause, your country, your mission, and each other?"

"We are!"

Wu looked stern as stone, and yet so proud at the same time. "You have each proven yourselves in your own right. May you all find honour and nobility on this new path. For now, you are no longer your old selves, but young warriors." He moved closer to Cole and placed his bamboo staff on his left shoulder. "Cole, Ninja of Earth," and he handed him the black shozoku. Then the staff moved to Jay's shoulders. "Jay, Ninja of Lightning," and he was handed the blue shozoku. Again, the staff moved. "Zane, Ninja of Ice," and he was given the white shozoku. Finally, it was Kai's turn. "And Kai. Ninja of Fire."

Kai reached out with both hands and held the soft, red fabric in his hands. He knew that he was getting way in over his head, but something inside of him wouldn't let himself go quietly. Although, holding his new uniform now made everything feel very real all of a sudden, and he swallowed hard.

"From this day forward until the day I die, you are my students and I am your Sensei. You have pledged your lives and your honour to training under my command and serving your country. I will see you all bright and early tomorrow morning when the first bell rings." Wu smiled and then dismissed them.

Kai rose to his feet, but before he followed the others out, he turned to look back at Sensei Wu who smiled again and nodded. Kai returned the gesture and exited the room hardly realising what had just happened.

"So I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you two," Cole said to Ann and Keaton, trying to sound casual. "Well, uh—I mean, not seeing you, just—like, seeing you around. Not in a creepy way, either, just a normal, average, seeing sorta way. Is it getting hot in here?"

"No worries, Cole," Zane said casually as he walked up behind him and manifested some ice cubes that dropped down the back of his shirt. Cole shrieked and jumped up and down until the ice plummeted to the floor. "Cooler now?" Cole playfully shoved him away and Kai couldn't help noticing that Cole's face was completely flushed.

Ann smirked. "Yes, I suppose we will be seeing more of each other."

"Welcome to the family, big bros!" Keaton exclaimed, clinging onto Cole as they exited the stairwell. The boys all laughed.

"So... is being a ninja really as hard as Sensei Wu made it sound?" Jay asked nervously.

"Oh, no," Ann answered, and Jay sighed in relief. "It's much, much harder. All of you will be pushed to your mental and physical limits, until you can fight off an enemy twice your size with both your hands tied behind your back." Jay suddenly turned a pale shade of green.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I can see how that's a little harder," said Jay nervously.

Ann turned her neck so she could see him. "You think?"

After a while of walking, however, Nya pulled Kai into another room. She looked unsettled and nervous, wringing her hands together constantly.

"Kai, are you sure about this?" She whispered. Kai should have known that she'd have mixed feelings about all of this.

"Nya, it's the right thing to do. After some training, I'll be able to protect you, no matter what. We won't have to be separated ever again." He moved to lay a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away.

"You said that everything would go back to normal. You promised," she said, tears brimming her eyes. "Doing this... this ninja thing... you'll be here for years! Didn't you hear those oaths you swore?"

Realisation suddenly dawned on him. He had promised that... but he had just sworn an oath.

"Things will go back to the way they were... someday," Kai reassured her. "It's just... a little farther away now." Nya seemed more upset now than ever. "Hey, we're still together, aren't we? I'm not gonna let anything else happen to our family. And you can bet I'm never gonna stop until I find Mom and Dad."

Nya didn't say anything at first. She just looked away, fighting back her tears.

"Just don't do anything stupid," was all she said.

"Come on, you know 'stupid' is my middle name," Kai replied.

Nya tried to smile, but ended up bursting into tears instead. Kai grabbed her and held her close as she slowly soaked his shirt. In this moment, Kai secretly swore another oath; he swore that if it was ever within his power, he would keep Nya safe. No matter the odds, no matter the distance, no matter the sacrifice. This was his greatest and most selfless duty above everything else. He promised.


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue

From that day forward, Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole were different people, sworn to a path of honour, discipline, and sacrifice. Keaton surely enjoyed having the extra company, but Ann remained indifferent. And Nya? Nya was ever watchful, and bent on helping any way she could, be it retrieving water, cooking, cleaning, or practising medicine. The days at the monastery, although very taxing and gruelling, were days full of light, and happiness, and brotherhood. Together, the ninja looked out over a Ninjago filled with joy and celebration, and they smiled knowing that they helped make it possible.

Radio reports came in every day bringing more and more good news to the public. It seemed as though Garmadon was slowly fading away from memory, and the land was beginning to heal.

However, not everyone was as ecstatic about all of this. Wu paced in his office almost every day, worrying about one thing in particular.

"Lord Garmadon's absence will not simply go unnoticed. There are others who would wish to cease his—now, ownerless—power," he said one day, stroking his beard. "One in particular has shown extremely irrational behaviour as of late, and I fear what he may do with an army of vengeful Skulkins at his beck and call."

"Who?"

"My nephew."


End file.
